DRE Vol1
by Hayaki
Summary: The first, in the maybe many in a series of adventures our Dimensional Ruler (Saya) gets herself into. In this journey, Saya jumps into the world of High School DxD where she might find that having the power to reincarnate herself indefinitely might not be so bad. Contains: Yuri, OCxHarem, sexual elements. (Old story)
1. A Date Gone Bad

**Author's Note:** Welcome to my first fanfiction ever. I hope this little imagination outlet of mine can provide some form of mediocre entertainment to whoever bothers reading this. Feel free to review or not, and I'm always open to suggestions. If you didn't bother reading through the whole summary then read this. **THIS CONTAINS YURI.** In fact. Almost all the romance in this will be yuri as the OC (generously provided by the true ending of One Way Heroics Plus. Great game, should totally check it out) is indeed female and will be replacing Issei. So if hate the idea of girls kissing girls (and the main character not being a Mary Sue) then you might not enjoy this. Even if this OC has the power to control reality, none of that will done in the battles. This will mostly follow the canon story with a few changes here and there to accommodate Saya's personality. I'm always open to suggestions about who to add to the harem though, and I'll try fulfill those wishes.

 **Tl;DR:** First story, review if you want, yuri, FemOC replaces Issei, yuri, no Mary Sue, harem suggestions

This is a fanmade parody. Highschool DxD is originally written by Ichiei Ishibumi. I take absolutely no credit for the original canon of the story.

* * *

" **Hey~! Wake up! If you don't wake up I'll... stab you~!"**

" **Hey~! Wake up! If you don't wake up I'll... stab you~!"**

" **Hey~! Wake up! If you don't-"** *click*

My hand retracted from the novelty alarm clock's head before I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up. I sighed and slid out of my bed to begin with my morning routines.

It's already been sixteen years since I've been born into this world. It may sound like a strange way to say how old I am, but in actuality, this isn't the first life I've lived. In truth, I am the recently appointed (if you can call roughly 200 years recent) Dimensional Ruler, a being that is able to travel through space and time and to bend reality to my will. This will have been my fourth life, my fourth journey, the fourth world I've been to since I got my powers. And to be honest, I absolutely hate it. It definitely is nice to be able to experience all the different worlds I go to. My adventurer spirit can attest to that.

I violently shook my head to bring myself out of my thoughts as I finished brushing my hair. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of these kinds of things. For now, I'm just another normal high school student with an ancient dragon sleeping inside of her.

Standing up, I examined myself for any stray mishaps on my school uniform once more. It was the standard Kuoh girl's uniform that consisted of a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black shoulder cape, a matching button-down corset, a magenta skirt with white accents, and a black ribbon tie to finish it off. Satisfied with my look, I nod and head downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

The morning commute to school was normal enough. Nothing out of the ordinary today either. It was a good sign. I wouldn't have to be dragged into this world's problems just yet. Peace was something I've learned to enjoy during my travels with the amount of chaos that followed me. Just then, a sudden collection shrieks from my right side broke me from my reverie.

"Kya! It's Saya-sama!"

"Saya-sama~!"

"Marry me, Saya-sama!"

I turned to see who it was only for me to find out that it was a gaggle of female followers I had garnered the attention of. Not to brag or anything, but I am quite the celebrity being one of the three great onee-sama's of the school. The other two being a red-haired third year by the name of Rias Gremory who is the president of the Occult Research club (spooky), and another third year by the name of Souna Shitori who is the president of the student council. They both excelled in anything and everything they did and they both had looks that any man (or woman) would fall for. Unlike them, though, who both had bombshell bodies, mine was slender and didn't have much going on at the chest region. Not to mention I was only a second year. I only managed to get the title because of my helpful nature.

Smiling and waving to all of my admirers, I mentally groan at all the attention I was receiving as I make my way to my classroom.

* * *

"For the last time. I am only interested in other girls, and even if I was into guys, I would never consider going out with you two dolts." I sigh exasperatedly when I repeated my sexual preferences for the umpteenth time to the Perverted Duo of the school; Motohama and Matsuda.

"And yet, you still hang out with the two of us like it's no big deal Miss Third." Motohama adjusted his glasses while saying that.

"Well, I'm just trying to live up to my expectations as the third Onee-sama by trying to stop you two from perving on girls all the time."

Matsuda's eye twitched. "Of course we would! This school is a paradise for us true men! We came to this school in hopes of having casual sex with hot chicks and then never see them again! They should all be jumping at the chance to sex us up but you and that damn pretty boy prince keeps stealing all our chances from us!"

All I could do was sigh again and tune Matsuda out as he began rambling on again. This was how I spent a lot of my time after school ever since this school turned co-ed. I have no idea why I befriended these two, in fact, it didn't even start like that in the beginning. All I wanted to do was try to reform these two from extreme perverts to at least slightly more approachable perverts. As it stands now, though, even I couldn't do anything to fix their behavior.

Suddenly, I feel a chill run down my back causing me to look around for the source of it before my dark blue eyes finally landed upon a pair of green-blue ones staring at me from a window of the old school building. I didn't have a chance to see who it was before they turned around and disappeared into the shadows. I did catch a glimpse of a crimson hair though.

I stand up from the area my 'friends' and I were sitting at and brush the grass off of my skirt before starting on my way home. "I'm going home for now, you two. Don't stay out too late, and don't bother looking for those mags of yours. I've already burned them."

* * *

Just as I was exiting the school gate I hear a shy voice try to grab my attention.

"Um... Excuse me... Are you Hyoudou Saya by any chance?"

I turn to see that a girl around my height had approached me. Her appearance wasn't much to look at, but she had an almost classic girl next door look to her with her straight black hair and kind looking eyes. She had on a school uniform that I didn't quite recognize although it did have an emblem with the letter 'P' on it.

"Yes, I am, can I help you?" I reply with a small smile.

She fidgeted a bit while glancing around nervously before finally meeting my eyes again. "Well... Are you seeing anyone right now?"

"Hm... No. Not at the moment. Why?"

Once those words left my mouth her face immediately lit up with a smile. "Oh. Well in that case would you like to be my girlfriend?"

I played around with the idea in my mind for a few seconds. Maybe if I found myself a lover I could tone down the constant fangirling I get from my peers especially because this girl was from another school.

"I don't see why not. But I think it'd be a start if you introduced yourself first. I think it would get pretty old if I just called you beautiful all the time."

I smirked as the girl's face lit up in a blush before she managed to stammer out. "O-oh, right I'm s-sorry. My name is Amano Yuuma. Um... H-how does this Sunday sound for a date."

"Wonderful. How about we meet up at the plaza?"

The girl, Amano Yuuma, nodded happily. "Yes! That sounds great! Here, I'll give you my number so we can stay in contact."

After we've exchanged cell phone numbers, she bounded away while waving back at me as I waved back.

* * *

The next few days of school went by normally as nothing out of ordinary happened. I did announce my relationship status to Motohama and Matsuda in hopes that they would start some rumors to get all of the lesbians in school to stop trying to get my affection. Of course, I made sure not to mention the girl's name as I didn't want to cause her unneeded trouble. All I said was that I just started going out with a girl from another school.

And so, the day of the date finally arrived and I was waiting at the promised location. While I was waiting for Yuuma to arrive a girl dressed up in a bat themed costume gave me some sort of strange flyer with a magic symbol on the back. I just dismissed it as I folded it and pocketed it. I made sure to arrive half an hour early so I had time to go over the day's plan in my head. It wasn't much, really, standard run-off-the-mill first date stuff. Go to the movies, have lunch at a cafe, go shopping, and wrap it all up with a stroll through the park. I kind of felt bad for the girl. She was definitely attractive, but I was only using her as a means to an ends. I didn't ever want to have real friends or fall in love after my second journey. The girl would probably be heart broken if she knew how I really felt.

"Saya-saaan!"

I smile and wave to Yuuma as she ran towards me.

"Sorry if I'm late."

"Don't worry about it. We both got here early. Well? Shall we go?"

I took a hold of her hand before leading her away to our first destination of the day.

The movie we watched was some old horror movie about this crazy possessive girl that murders her boyfriends if she even finds a picture of their ex or something. I wasn't really paying attention to it much to be honest. Yuuma seemed to enjoy it a whole lot for some reason at least.

Next, we went to a cafe that was nearby the theater. To food wasn't much but hearing Yuuma talk about her life and her friends was surprisingly heart warming. For desert, we shared a special couple's parfait.

The stores we went to after lunch were mostly clothing stores and we took turns showing off each other's choices. I... hate to admit it but I got caught up in the moment and had a little too much fun. In the end, we each bought our favorite choices and got matching key-chains for our phones. Her smile was too genuine when I gave her the key-chain and I found myself start to fall for her. Even though I know I shouldn't.

Now at the climax at of the date, we were silently walking hand-in-hand in the park enjoying the glow of the setting sun. My face had a smile plastered on it, but my mind was in turmoil. I had started to care for this girl, Amano Yuuma. I had started wanting to be with her more. Her smile, her innocence, I wanted to see more of it. I couldn't help it. I was always too influential. Always too impulsive. Not to mention, she reminded me of **_her_**.

When we reached the fountain at the center of the park, she suddenly let go of my hand and walked ahead of me before turning around.

"Hey... Can I ask you a question?"

I just smiled and urged her to continue. Ignoring the growing unease I was feeling.

"In commemoration of our first date... I'd like for you to do something..." She paused before leaning into my ear and whispering. "Can you die for me?"

I gasp and my eyes shoot open in shock, "What? I'm sorry. I don't think I quite heard you."

Yuuma smiled sadly and stepped back. "I had a lot of fun today to be honest, and I didn't want to do this to begin with." A bright light began enveloping her and when it dispersed, it revealed Yuuma with two black feathered wings sticking out of her back dressed in... something that you should only see a girl wear in a strip club. I would have sweat dropped at the sudden change from innocent schoolgirl to stripper dominatrix if my brain wasn't still trying to process what she had said before.

Before I could react I felt a sharp pain erupt from my stomach and I look down only to see that a spear made out of what looked like light had pierced through me.

 _"Damn, I let my guard down... If only Ddraig was awake,"_ I thought as I dropped to my knees. It all made sense now. The feeling of foreboding when I first met her. The sad looks she would sometimes shoot me when she thought I wasn't looking. Her name as well. Yuuma, meaning 'evening daze'.

"I'm sorry you had to die like this. If you're going to blame anyone. Then blame God for putting that Sacred Gear inside of you." With those last words, Yuuma took off and flew into the distance.

 _"This is what happens when I let my emotions get the better of me. I shouldn't have been hit by that. I can't die now. Not yet. Not while... I still have work... to do..."_ I could feel my consciousness fading away as I lay in a pool of my own blood. _"Ah... This feeling again... So familiar..."_ Red. Red was all I could see now. Such a beautiful color. Red. _"Just like her hair."_ Red. _"Who was she again..?"_ Red. _"Rias..."_ Red. _"Gremory..."_ Red.

Just as the last vestiges of my life was slipping away, I caught a bright light shine at the edge of my vision, followed by a muffled voice.

Black.

* * *

-Stat Sheet-

 **Master:** N/A

 **Evil Piece:** N/A

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D

 **Endurance:** D+

 **Agility:** B

 **Magic:** E-

 **Luck:** A++

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Currently sealed.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one. Currently sealed.

 **Mold Reality:** EX - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. However, if reality is altered too much the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.


	2. Welcome, You're a Devil Now

**AN:** Wow. People are actual interested in this. Didn't think that'd happen. Thanks for all the feedback about what you think. In regards to some of Saya's Stats, at the moment, she is just a normal human and will have to physically train her body in order to gain the benefits of her stats. However, the higher the stat level is, the faster she can train it. Also, both her Vault and Mold Reality Abilities are both detached from her soul at the moment. She will eventually make use of the Vault but Mold Reality will never be used. She does not use Mold Reality at all because for every change she makes in the world with it, the world will push back with something of equal value whether it rejects to shift completely, or creates something else in order to balance the shift. As for her Reincarnation ability, she is able to reincarnate as a completely new entity in the world she chooses to live in but the world will create another entity somewhere else to accommodate her existence in the world. This is why she replaces Issei. Also, she needs to unlock all her Skills before she can gain the passive benefits from them. I'll be glad to answer any other questions about the character since I was too lazy to put all the details in somewhere. Just to clear up, the story will mostly follow the original canon but there will definitely be noticeable differences when the time comes.

 **TL;DR:** Saya's Stats are useless until she trains them, Mold Reality will never happen, Dimensional Vault will eventually happen, Skills are all locked until Saya trains. Original canon with twists and turns. Thank you for the feedback.

This is a fanmade parody. Highschool DxD is originally written by Ichiei Ishibumi. I take absolutely no credit for the original canon of the story.

 **Answers to Guest Questions:**

 **Ragna:** I actually was considering doing Fem Kiba but I'll take into consideration your idea about Gasper. And well, all I'm going to say in regards to procreation among female Devil is that the Devils made a spell where one can temporarily make use of fully functioning male genitalia. Although I don't plan to include any lemons in this so you probably won't see any of that happening. Also, there probably won't be much (probably no) reality bending.

 **Guest:** I won't go too much into detail about Saya's appearance, but I will say that she has straight blue hair that reaches her mid back, and has a fairly slender physique. If you want more detail then just take a look at the cover image.

* * *

" **Hey~! Wake up! If you don't wake up I'll... stab you~!"**

" **Hey~! Wake up! If you don't wake up I'll... stab you~!"**

" **Hey~! Wake up! If you don't-"** *click*

My hand retracted from the novelty alarm clock's head before I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I sighed and moved to take off the covers when a thought occurred to me to make me stop. _"Wait, this feels oddly familiar for some reason..."_ I shook my head to try to see why I had such a strong feeling of deja vu when I suddenly heard a voice sound out in my head.

 **[Nice to see you're still alive, partner.]**

 _"Ddraig, you're awake now."_

 **[Yeah, and not a moment too soon. It looks like you ran into some trouble earlier, huh?]**

 _"That's right. I was killed yesterday wasn't I? By that Fallen Angel."_

With Ddraig's help I managed to recount what happened the previous day. He also apologized for not waking up earlier so he could warn about Yuuma considering that I had no affinity for sensing supernatural things.

 _"But what happened after that?"_

 **[Ah... Yeah... About that... You'll see.]**

 _"Right..."_ Knowing how stubborn the dragon can be, I decided to drop the topic instead of trying to argue with him all day.

That was when I felt it.

A steady rhythm of hot air hitting the back of my neck.

The feeling of two soft mounds pressing against my back.

The feeling of somebody's arms wrapped around my waist.

I gulped.

And I slowly turned my head to see the face of the mysterious person that was invading my bed.

Rias Gremory.

My eyes slowly traveled downwards.

She's naked.

I'm naked.

 _"WHY ARE WE NAKED?!"_

At this point, Ddraig was roaring with laughter as I tried to piece together why we were naked in bed together.

Did she?!

No.

Did WE?!

Wait.

I was pretty sure that I should be dead with the damage done to my body and the amount of blood that I lost . So the most logical answer to my recovery would be that I was resurrected. Which would mean Rias Gremory is a Devil. That would mean I'm a Devil now too.

 **[I'm surprised. Given how much you told me about yourself, I expected with your amount of experience that you wouldn't even react to this.]** Ddraig spoke up after finally calming down, although a hint of humor still resided in his voice.

 _"How exactly would you react if you suddenly find a naked woman sleeping beside you with no memory of how she got there? I doubt even you could stay calm."_ I mentally huffed. _"So, give it to me straight. I'm a Devil now, aren't I?"_

 **[That you are. And the girl that's starting to wake up next to you is your master.]**

Wait. What?

Sure enough, when I turned around to face her again, she had brought her hand up to her mouth to cover a yawn before she smiled at me with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Most likely due to seeing my slightly flushed face.

Too close. Her face was inches from touching mine.

"Did you have a nice rest?" I started when she suddenly spoke up.

Quickly composing myself so I didn't dissolve into complete mess when I actually started speaking.

"Quite well, actually, thank you," I replied while flashing her a disarming smile which didn't seem to faze her at all. In fact, she seemed to take it all in stride.

"As much as I'd love to continue lying here with you, we do have school today and it just wouldn't do if the both of us were late."

Nodding, I slid out of bed, leaving the blanket on the naked Devil.

Rias spoke up again when I was about to make my way out to take a shower.

"How does your stomach feel?"

I looked back towards the bed to see that she was sitting upright in my bed, naked as the day she was born. The sunlight streaming through the slits in the blinds accentuated her already impossible beauty and I found that I was staring at her before I finally caught myself. I've honestly never seen anyone as pretty as her in all my life, and that's saying something.

I cleared my throat before answering, "It feels fine, thank you," before exiting the room.

* * *

Explaining to 'my' parents why Rias stayed overnight wasn't too hard. All we had to say was that we were studying and had lost track of the time so she ended up staying over. They were still a bit skeptical if that was all we did together, but Rias used some sort of hypnotism magic to stop them from questioning us any further.

The way to school however, was not so easy. It was no secret that I was a lesbian. In fact, the whole school should know. So when Rias and I showed up at school with her firmly clinging to my arm, it started up a lot of whispers and before long, ridiculous rumors had started to spread. Things like how I was actually the heiress to some multi-million dollar corporation and that my controlling father decided to engage me to some rich guy so I decided to elope with Rias in order to break the engagement. Stupid things like that.

When she finally detached herself from my arm and went off to her classroom, she told me that she would send somebody to pick me up after school ended. So here I was, chatting with Murayama and Katase, two girls from the Kendo club that I managed to befriend after I 'executed' Motohama and Matsuda after I caught them peeking at them changing, while I was waiting for the person Rias sent to pick me up.

I turned towards the doorway when I heard a collection of adoring screams sound out from outside. The person that had caught the attention of all the females inside and outside the classroom was Kiba Yuumi, the 'Prince of Kuoh'. Yes. The 'Prince' is indeed a girl, although at first glance, you wouldn't be able to tell. Her hair was short and she had fairly sharp looking features, and she also carried herself with a sort of chivalrous aura. She was practically radiating chivalry wherever she walked and never hesitated to act as a knight in shining armor whenever she had the chance to.

The 'Prince' stopped in front of me and asked, "You must be Hyoudou Saya, right? Can you please follow me? Rias sent me."

"Ah, right. Of course," I nodded and bid farewell to the two Kendo club girls and followed Kiba outside.

The trip was fairly silent between us, but once again, the people around us had an endless amount of comments to share about their delusional fantasies.

When we reached our destination, apparently the Occult Research Club in the old school building, Kiba knocked on the door a few times and announced our presence before opening the door for me to enter.

The inside of the room was decorated with Victorian-style couches and chairs with a large design drawn in the center of the room, which I assumed to be a magic circle of some kind.

I greeted the only other visible person in the room with a nod and a smile, of which she only returned the nod. If I remember correctly, this was Toujou Koneko, also known as the school mascot due to her short stature and stoic demeanor.

"Where's Rias?" I asked after scanning to room only to find that the red-haired Devil was not present.

Toujou gestured towards a door where the sounds of running water could be heard. That's right, she didn't have enough time to take a shower at my house so she must've decided to take one here.

Although.

Why exactly is there a shower in a club room?

"Buchou, here take this."

I didn't recognize that voice. So there was another member here? She must be pretty close if she was in the same room as Rias when she's taking a shower. I wonder...

"Pervert."

"Huh?"

I turned towards Toujou who was still eating sweets since I entered the room.

"Your face."

Realizing that I must have somehow let my inner thoughts slip out, I quickly schooled my face and cleared my throat. Kiba, meanwhile was chuckling at my reaction.

The sounds of the shower stopped and was replaced by the sound of rustling fabric for a few minutes before the door to the bathroom opened and a fully-clothed Rias walked out with droplets of water still clinging to her hair.

"Thank you for coming," she said and smiled in my direction. "I'm sorry for making you wait. I didn't have time to take a shower this morning so I just took this one now."

"Oh, no, not at all. I understand."

I then spotted the person standing behind Rias. Himejima Akeno. Kuoh Academy's resident Yamato Nadeshiko. She's also considered as one of the school's top beauties, and with good reason too. She looked absolutely stunning, on par with Rias in fact.

"Ara, ara. It's nice to finally meet you in person Hyoudou. I heard a lot about you from the other students. My name is Himejima Akeno. I hope we get along." Himejima politely introduced herself. She definitely was the perfect example of a Yamato Nadeshiko. That seemingly perpetual smile on her face and her etiquette and manners all attributed to that.

Nodding with a slight grin, I replied, "Yes. It's nice to meet you too Himejima. It looks like the rumors about your beauty weren't exaggerated."

 **[Hah... Such a shameless flirt.]**

 _"That's not my fault. It kind of just became my habit..."_

Akeno seemed to take that compliment quite well since her reply was just a simple "Ufufu."

I didn't know that anybody actually laughed like that. That's a first.

Once the introductions were done, Rias decided that now was the best time to explain my situation to me. "Now that you are here, let us begin, Hyoud - no - let me call you Saya."

I nodded, letting her know that it was fine.

"We, the Occult Research Club, welcome you as our new member."

Kind of expected that. If my deductions were right then everybody here is a Devil.

"And as a Devil," she finished.

There it was. Now I just have to act surprised. Make it seem like I don't have any knowledge about these things.

Meanwhile, Akeno had poured me a cup of tea.

"Um... I'm sorry, but, did you just say Devil?"

Rias nodded. "Yes. That's right."

"Do you have any proof?"

Rias just nodded again. "Of course. Here, take a look at this."

She then placed a picture on the table. A picture of Amano Yuuma. The girl that I went on a date with yesterday, and the girl that subsequently 'killed' me

I gestured for her to continue.

"As I'm sure you know, this girl is known as Amano Yuuma. You went on a date with her yesterday. This girl is a Fallen Angel which is an Angel that has 'fallen' from Heaven for having impure intentions. They are also an enemy of us Devils."

Rias paused and took a breath before continuing.

"Us Devils have been at war with the Fallen Angels for a very long time. Because they cannot reside in Heaven anymore, the only place they can reside in safely in the underworld as there are exorcists and such in this world that hunt them. This resulted in the Underworld being split into two parts, one used by the Devils, and the other used by the Fallen Angels. Then there is the Angel faction that resides in Heaven that hunts both us Devils and Fallen Angels. There was a war in the past that all three factions fought in, but because all three sides sustained major damage, a ceasefire has been declared. Most of the fighting has stopped by now."

After she finished her explanation, she paused for a moment to let me take in all the information.

It wasn't needed, as Ddraig had already explained most of this world's situation to me when I first came here.

"So I'm guessing that everyone here in the club is a Devil then?" I asked.

"Yes," Rias nodded. "That is correct. The reason this Fallen Angel targeted you because you possess a certain thing within you called a Sacred Gear. A Sacred Gear is a power that is bestowed upon certain humans. In fact, many of the humans who have had their names recorded down in the annals of history were said to have possessed Sacred Gears. Most Sacred Gears that people possess, only have functions that benefit them in a human society, but there are also Sacred Gear possessors that have powers that threaten the safety of Angels, Devils, and Fallen."

I nodded, showing her that I understood.

"Good. Now raise your hand."

Without missing a beat, I did what I was told.

"Now close your eyes and think of who you consider to be the strongest being in the world."

She's trying to activate my Sacred Gear, then. I could just summon it right now, but I don't want to raise any suspicion so I'll play along for now.

"Next, lower your arm and stand up, and mimic a pose of that person that is supposed to bring out their full power."

I slightly bent my knees, and slid into the stance I was most familiar with. My hands were on either side of me, gripping a pair of imaginary swords.

"Open your eyes. This room is filled with magic so your Sacred Gear should show up easier.

A bright light began shining from my left arm as a red gauntlet with a glowing green circle on the back of it appeared on it. Boosted Gear.

I lifted my arm up to study it. It had been close to ten years since I last activated it so I almost forgot what it looked like.

Rias adopted a thinking pose and hummed. It looked like she was deep in thought before she shook her head and started speaking again.

"Since you've managed to summon it now, you'll be able to call upon it much easier in the future. Although, I do have to say, you're taking to this quite well."

I sighed. "Well considering that this gauntlet appeared on my arm like magic, I can't really do anything to refute everything you just said."

Now I just need to confirm one more thing.

Dismissing the Boosted Gear, I pointed at Rias before asking, "Why did you save me?"

The crimson-haired Devil looked taken aback by the sudden question. It seemed like she didn't expect me asking that.

Before she could answer though, I spoke up again. "It's because of my Sacred Gear, right? I can only assume that you wanted me for my Sacred Gear, just like how the Fallen Angels wanted to kill me because of it. Am I right?"

My face was set in a frown of determination as I stared down the girl in front of me for an answer.

"No."

What?

"That was not the reason for why I revived you."

I didn't expect this. She couldn't have done this out of the kindness in her heart. And yet, for some reason, I'm inclined to believe that she did.

"Then, why?"

"Because you deserved more. I heard about all your exploits ever since you enrolled in this school. Almost everyone in Kuoh idolizes you as a hero of sorts. You selflessly went out of your way in order to help the other students. Someone as kind as you does not deserve to die in such a way. That is why I saved you. But, I do have to admit that I was only first interested in you because of your Sacred Gear."

I was stunned. No other words could describe what I was feeling right now. I tried to say something. Anything. But no matter how much I tried, now sound came out of my mouth. This was the answer I was least expecting. Damn. Why did she have to make it so hard. If only she had just said that she wanted me for my Sacred Gear.

Her eyes were still locked with mine. Unwavering and held a light of complete honesty.

It seemed like an eternity before my spell of silence finally broke, and when it did, all I could utter out was two words.

"I see."

Rias smiled. A smile that radiated kindness. A smile that, when I returned it, felt empty. A smile that no longer meant anything coming from me.

"Good. Now, let's all introduce ourselves again. Yuumi." Rias gestured and a pair of bat like wings sprouted out of everybody's back, including mine. This was certainly a new sensation I would have to get used to.

Kiba nodded and stepped forward. "My name is Kiba Yuumi. You might already know this, but I'm a second year like you. Also, I'm a Devil. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Toujou nodded her head slightly as she put down the donut she was eating. "First year. Toujou Koneko. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm a Devil too."

Himejima bowed and gave me her usual smile. "My name is Himejima Akeno. I'm a third year, and the vice-president of the Occult Research Club. Although I look like this, I'm also a Devil. It's nice to meet you"

"And I, Rias Gremory, am their master, as well as a Devil from the House of Gremory. My house holds the rank of Duke. Let's get along from now on, Saya," Rias introduced herself last.

I smiled and bowed as well. "My name is Hyoudou Saya. I'm a second year, and recently recruited Devil under Rias Gremory. Thank you for having me."

And thus began my semi-new life as a Devil.

* * *

-Stat Sheet-

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D

 **Endurance:** D+

 **Agility:** B

 **Magic:** E-

 **Luck:** A++

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Currently sealed.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one. Currently sealed.

 **Mold Reality:** EX - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Note:** All Stats, Skills, and Abilities are currently null and will be until some training has been done.


	3. The First Contract

**AN:** Boom! Surprise update. Since I got some questions regarding updates, I'll just put the answer here. Updates will hopefully be every weekend, providing that something doesn't happen where I won't be able to do it. The same thing could be said for the other way around. If I have some extra free time, I'll probably be updating it earlier than usual. Also, I won't be posting any harem results. You'll just have to wait and see. With that said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

 **Answers to Guest Reviews:**

 **Ragna:** In short, yes. It's possible.

And also, thank you to everybody else for their reviews.

 **Disclaimer:** This is a fanmade parody. Highschool DxD is originally written by Ichiei Ishibumi. I take absolutely no credit for the series.

* * *

I sighed.

This was absolutely not how I expected my life as a Devil to be going. I could still remember Ddraig's roaring laughter when I first heard about this job.

Honestly, it's almost disappointing.

The moment I was turned into a Devil, I started preparing myself for future battles. My Dimensional Vault was almost within reach. A few more days and then I'll have complete access to it. I've also started a bit of training on the side whenever I have free time.

However, the thing is, nothing's happened yet. There still is the Fallen Angel business that Buchou said that it'll resolve itself in time, but other than that, I've just been throwing out leaflets to people around town. Apparently all the newly reincarnated Devils had to do this kind of grunt work until further notice.

That's exactly the kind of work I've been doing this past week. Riding all over town when school ends to hand out these sheets with summoning circles on them to little green blips on a radar that shows potential candidates that would summon Devils. I wonder how they even managed to make this thing. Never have I heard of something that can detect the amount of greed a person has, in fact, I've never even come across anything that can truly detect anything like that in my travels.

And so, with random thoughts keeping my mind occupied, I rode through the city in the dead of night, handing out leaflets to the greedy citizens.

* * *

I was heading to the club room again after school. It had become somewhat of a ritual for me ever since I joined, not like I had much of a choice. Apparently, I had to come today, as Buchou had something important to tell me. Regarding what? I have no idea.

Just as I was about to open the door, I heard a voice mention my name from inside.

"Buchou. - lying - Saya - necessary?"

That sounded like Akeno. I pressed my ear to the door in order hear what she was saying better.

"Yes. I believe that it was necessary. Her heart is pure and kind. If she were to find out that we let her die in order to reincarnate her, she would have rejected us."

There was a brief pause in the conversation. What were they saying? They let me die?

"Also, she's trying to hide something from us. She knows something that we don't know. Don't you think her reaction to finding out about the existence of Angels, Devils, and Fallen was far too tame? Any regular person would have reacted more strongly. She definitely isn't religious from what we have observed, so she shouldn't have any prior knowledge and beliefs of the subject, and yet, it seems like she does. Don't you think that's strange, Akeno?"

They were watching me as well. For quite a while even. They could've stepped in at any time. but they just watched me make a fool of myself. Again. This was happening again. Just like before, people have taken advantage of me. And I let it happen. How could I have been so stupid?! I knew better than to take things at face value. And yet, why? Why does this keep happening?

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. No. Getting angry at myself wouldn't do any good. It won't accomplish anything.

For now, I have no choice but the play the role of an obedient underling. Becoming a Stray is out of the question.

I took another breath, and knocked on the door before entering.

"Good afternoon, Buchou, Akeno," I greeted them as naturally as I could.

The two third years looked like they were playing chess when they were talking to each other.

Buchou nodded and smiled in my direction. It almost seemed like the conversation about me just now didn't happen.

"Good afternoon, Saya. It's good to see that you're here."

"Ara, good afternoon."

Both Buchou and Akeno stood up. The former made her way towards me while the latter started cleaning up the chess set.

"Well done with your work so far, Saya. I think that you'll be glad to know that you're getting a promotion today."

"Thank you. I-" Wait, did she just say promotion?

I looked up at her with hope in my eyes, almost forgetting my anger for a moment. "Does that mean I won't have to hand out those leaflets anymore?"

She nodded with a small smile on her face.

"That's right. You'll start doing contracts like the rest of us now."

Finally! Although it was good training for my legs, delivering those slips of paper everywhere was incredibly boring.

"Since this will be the first time, you won't be doing anything too hard. Since Yuumi is double-booked, you'll take one of her contracts. Do you remember the details of what a contract entails?"

"Yes. I just need to fulfill the client's wish as long as it is within reason. If it isn't, I can barter with them until it becomes something I am capable of. When it's done, I take something from them as payment, whether it be monetary, or an item worth equal value."

Buchou smiled proudly and patted my head.

"Good. A perfect explanation. I expected nothing less from you."

Ah... this feeling of being praised like this... Sara...

The image of the golden haired immortal briefly flashed before my eyes.

I was broken out of my reminiscence when Buchou led me into the magic circle in the center of the room. From what she had told me, the magic circle is actually the Gremory family crest. All the members of her peerage, as well as the other Devils in her family bear the crest on their body to signify that they are a part of the clan.

A light started to emit from the circle as Buchou spoke up again. "Hold out your palm, Saya."

I lifted up my arm and did as I was told. I watched as Buchou started to draw the crest on my hand with her finger.

"With this, you'll be able to use the magic circle in this room to transport yourself to a client. Once the contract is done, you'll be teleported back here.

That is definitely more useful than the teleport pills. But then again, they have saved my life countless times when I needed them.

"Alright. Akeno, is it ready?"

"Yes, Buchou."

I glanced towards Akeno and noticed that she was the one preparing the magic circle for me.

"Step into the center of the circle whenever you're ready, Saya."

I nodded and took a deep breath before stepping inside.

The last thing I saw and heard was Buchou and Akeno waving to me with wishes of good luck.

* * *

The familiar rush of dizziness faded away as I opened my eyes.

Looking around the place I arrived at, I found that it looked to be some sort of dressing room.

There were all sorts of fantasy setting costumes displayed all over the place. Things you'd see in RPGs like Large Overgrown Fire-breathing Lizard's Quest and the like.

Sets of armor that had more openings than a slice of Swiss cheese (who in the world leaves one of their arms completely open while covering only their other one with a single piece of metal on the shoulder?), hugely overdecorated ball gowns, and the generic suits of armor for the grunts.

As I was staring at the variety of costumes, I failed to notice the other presence in the room until they started speaking.

"Oh. You're not Yuumi."

I started and whipped around to see who was talking to me.

What I saw was a woman in somewhere in her twenties. Her black hair was done up in a small ponytail that reached just past her neck.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but Yuumi is currently busy with another contract right now so I came to take her place."

The woman frowned at this. "Oh dear. This isn't good. We needed a prince character."

"If I may ask, what is your wish?"

"Ah, right. Well, we're putting on a play right now, but one of our actor's got injured on stage and our backup is busy with other work so we need a replacement. Yuumi had always helped us out whenever something like this happened in the past and we've always called on her because her improv skills were so good."

That's definitely bad. There's no way I can play a male role, much less a prince, with my physique and voice.

"What's the play about? I might be able to improvise if I know the general idea of the story."

The woman nodded. "Right. It's about a princess who gets engaged to a prince from a foreign kingdom but she ends up falling in love with her bodyguard instead she she elopes with him. They spend a while running from both the princess' kingdom and the princes' kingdom but they finally end up getting caught. That's where we left off."

Yes. Ok. I think I can work with this.

"Do you think you can get bodyguard the play the part of the prince? I have an idea."

After about a half hour, the necessary preparations were complete. Luckily, the bodyguard was wearing a helmet and never had any lines for the entire duration of the play so I could easily take his place with minimal changes. Apparently it was decided that he would take off his helmet at the very end when his duty to his princess had been fulfilled.

So here I was now, standing in a clunky suit of armor that gave quite a few inches to my height so I could pass off as the bodyguard. The man who was playing the part earlier was now standing in front of me with a rapier drawn, dressed in some regal clothes with a long, flowing cloak and a small crown. The princess was sitting on the ground behind me and we were all surrounded by a group of knights.

The general idea I had was to change the script so that the bodyguard and the prince would have a duel to the death and the bodyguard would win. What happened during, and after that, will all have to be improvised. No sweat.

I inhaled deeply and held it while drawing the large broadsword on my back. I would've definitely broken my back if this thing was real.

I exhaled and charged with the sword held high above my head before I brought it down slow enough so that the prince could react and dodge in time.

Once he had jumped clear of the swing, he started thrusting forward with the rapier. It was nowhere near as fast as I was used to, but the armor made it harder to move.

After the first couple of thrusts, I gave up completely on trying to dodge and parry, but instead opted to just keep charging the man until the time was right. I had to make sure that the fight didn't end too soon or drag out for too long.

Swing. Recover. Charge. Swing. Recover. Charge. This repeated for few minutes until I decided that it was enough.

I charged once again with my sword held close to the wooden stage. Right before I could bring my sword up and swing though, the prince thrust his rapier forward and pierced through the visor of the helmet. The entire audience (actors included) gasped as I froze on the spot. The rapier had just about missed my head. It was a good thing that it was five times too big or else that might have gone into my eye. Guess I have my luck for that.

I completed the swing and slashed the prince across his chest, making him stumble back with a shocked expression before he remembered that he had a job to do. And so, the prince dropped 'dead' and I stood there with the rapier still stuck in the helmet.

Turning around, I made my way back towards the princess and took off the helmet, letting my hair flow down the back of my armor.

More gasps could be heard from the audience as I revealed myself.

I cast the helmet to the side and held my hand out to the princess on the ground. She hesitated to grab it at first, but she eventually did and I pulled her up onto her feet.

"I apologize, princess, for keeping my true identity hidden from you for so long. The truth is, I fell in love with you ever since we first met, but I just could not bring myself to tell you. I will understand if you will hate me now for the coward that I am."

The princess vehemently shook her head with tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. "Oh Victor, I could never bring myself to hate you no matter what. My love for you is unrivaled in all the world. No mere words can describe just how much I love you."

"Princess..." I gently cupped her face in my armored hands and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "My real name is Victoria. I would be honored if you were to call me that."

"Victoria..."

"Princess."

The distance between us grew to nothing as we drew each other into an embrace. Her arms wrapped around my back as she nestled herself into my armor while my arms wrapped around her waist and I rested my head on hers.

It honestly didn't seem like much, but the audience sounded like they enjoyed it if the roaring applause was of any indication once the curtains had fully closed.

* * *

I opened my eyes and found myself back at the clubroom. After the success of the play, I completed the contract and collected my payment. The woman in charge, Miss Yukino, even said that she might just get both Yuumi and I to act in any future plays she might have. All-in-all, I felt that it was a pretty good first success.

I scanned the clubroom and found that everybody was here now. Koneko was in her favorite seat eating sweat as usual, Yuumi appeared to be doing homework, Akeno was pouring tea for everyone, and Buchou was reading through a sheet of paper.

"Welcome back, Saya. How did the contract go?" Akeno asked me while handing me a cup of tea.

I accepted the cup and blew on the tea before taking a small sip of it. "Thank you, Akeno, and it went quite well for my first time I think. Also, your tea is delicious as always."

"Ufufu. Thank you."

Buchou cleared her throat and stood up from her seat. "You certainly did do a good job, Saya. The contracter had all sorts of good things to say about you in the comments. Come here, I'll give you a reward for a job well done."

I nodded and did I was told, only to find myself get patted on the head again.

"Wh-wha-? Buchou. Why?"

"Because you seemed to enjoy it earlier, of course. Don't forget, I always treat my peerage as if they were my own family. You are no exception to that."

I don't know why I did what I did next. My mind must had finally snapped after all of my emotional stress.

I forcefully pushed Buchou away from me and shouted, "Then why?!"

Everyone in the club room looked at me with blatant shock at my sudden outburst. I had remained polite and friendly, if a little distant, with everyone I interacted with until now so my hostility must have been completely unexpected.

"Eh? Why what?"

"Why did you lie to me?!"

"Lie? Saya, what are you talking about?"

"You let me die. Hell, I bet you even watched me die. You could've stepped in at any point to save me, and yet you didn't. Did and you really want my Sacred Gear that much? Here you are, being so kind to me, acting as if I was so incredibly precious to you, and yet when I was still human, you couldn't care less about me. You never once approached me to just chat. Is this your way of atoning for what you did? Maybe you were just planning to kill me yourself and blame it on the Fallen if they couldn't-"

A hot pain coursed through my face as my head sharply turned at the force of the slap. I could feel tears begin to well up, and I felt like breaking down. No. I won't show any weakness to these people. I forcefully bit back my tears as I glared up at Rias, who was staring at her own hand as if it had just moved on its own.

"Whatever. I don't care any more. This whole world can burn up and die for all I care." With those final words, I strode out of the clubroom. When I thought that I was far enough from them, I ran.

I ran, and ran, and ran.

I didn't stop for anything.

I just kept running.

Never looking behind.

I couldn't anyways.

My eyes were blinded by the tears that were now freely streaming down my face.

My mind was in a haze, drowning out any words that Ddraig was saying to try to comfort me.

When I finally stopped, I found that I had made it all the way to the park where I died.

I couldn't hold it back anymore.

I sank to the ground and cried.

I screamed, and cursed everything that ever was.

I cursed the old man for manipulating me and giving me his power so he could finally die.

I cursed the immortal king for manipulating me into thinking that I was a hero.

I cursed the self-sacrificial Demon Lord for manipulating me into killing her so many times.

Time slipped away from as I sat there crying in front of the fountain. Even when I finally ran out of tears, I didn't move. No. It was more like I couldn't. I had lost all the strength in my body.

What was the meaning of my existence?

Why am I always the one that has to suffer?

All I wanted right now was for somebody to come kill me right now. Someone that would kill me for good.

I was broken out of my thoughts when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind and the familiar sight of crimson hair filled my vision.

"What are you doing here?"

I tried to say it with as much venom as I could, but I only managed to barely choke it out pitifully.

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

I snorted. "Because you abandoned me before."

"That," Rias paused and sighed. "I... I honestly regret what I did to you. I knew it was wrong in the first place, but I couldn't help myself. Yes. You were right. I just wanted your power for myself, but as we gradually got to know each other over the past week, I just kept regretting my decision more and more. After seeing the kind of person you are, I realized that you didn't deserve this."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No. Of course not, and I don't expect you to forgive me either."

"Why..?"

"Because you are a part of our family."

"Why do you make it so hard for me to hate you..?"

"I'm not trying to stop you from hating me."

I could feel her slowly stroking my head now.

"I know I might not be able to get you to like me ever again, but just know that everyone here will treat you kindly. You are one of us now, even if I forced it on you. Remember that."

Craning my neck back and looking past Rias - no - Buchou's shoulder, I could see the rest of the Occult Research Club nodding at those words.

I nodded, and I felt some strength return to me.

"Ok."

Buchou smiled. That smile. The smile that promised love. The same one that she had showed me when she welcomed me. It exuded kindness, and yet, there was a hint of regret tinged in her eyes.

She let me go and stood up while offering me her hand.

Before taking her hand, I quickly wiped my face with my sleeves. When I had fully stood up, I wobbled unsteadily as Buchou moved to support me.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I must look like a complete mess right now."

Buchou just shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry. You'll always look beautiful no matter what. After all, you are my cute little servant."

My face heated up at that compliment while Ddraig chuckled.

 **[Looks like you're not the only smooth talker here, huh?]**

 _"Shut up, Ddraig. I don't need your comments right now."_

 **[Right. Just glad to see you're alright. You needed to get all that emotional baggage off of you. If you held it in for any longer, you would've completely lost it. Although I don't really like the girl for lying to you like that, I can appreciate that she actually feels bad about it.]**

This familiar feeling of tightening in my chest. Even though I promised myself I wouldn't ever fall again, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time.

* * *

 **AN:** A bit more about Saya is revealed, but clearly not enough. But yeah, I took some liberties here with the story as you can probably tell. Also, super crappy fight scene that will hopefully satiate the action hungry people reading this. And a bit of quick drama as well to spice it up a little. Apologies in any missed mistakes. I try to read through everything and correct them, but it is kind of hard to catch everything.

* * *

-Stat Sheet-

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (E-)

 **Endurance:** D+ (E-)

 **Agility:** B (E-)

 **Magic:** E- (N/A)

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (N/A) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A (N/A) - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- (N/A) - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX (N/A) - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (N/A) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ (N/A) - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX (N/A) - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Currently sealed.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one. Currently sealed.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX (N/A) - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX (N/A) - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX (N/A) - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Note:** Skills will be unlocked not based on training, but on Saya's motivations and emotions during battle. The unlock conditions on abilities vary.


	4. A New Friend and A Bad Feeling

**AN:** Sorry if the update gap is a bit large, but I've been drowning myself in a metaphorical sea of games, but more specifically, one certain game COUGHphantompainCOUGH (Kojima, why are you such an awesome guy). Nothing really much to say here, except thank you for the continued support. Also, special thanks to Zyma-nee-22 for all the help you've given me and Betaing for me. I suggest to anyone who bothers to read this to go check out her works. Without further adieu, please enjoy.

* * *

What had happened yesterday was still milling about in my mind. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward after my breakdown so I just went straight home after I had calmed down enough. Except, there was another problem now. I had no idea how to greet the others when I get to the club room. Should I just act like nothing happened? Will they treat me any differently now that they saw me like that?

 _"Ddraig, what should I do?"_

 **[Just don't think too much about it, kid. Just act like you always do, but it's nice to see that you're starting to genuinely care about other people now.]**

I sighed internally. _"First of all, I am not a child anymore so don't call me that. Although I may not be as old as you, I'm still pretty old. Secondly, I do not care about them. I just feel like I should show them some courtesy after what happened."_

 **[Oh? Getting all 'tsun' are you? You know, I never pegged you for the type to be like that.]**

 _"Sh-shut up! I am not a tsundere! And how the hell do you even know that term?!"_

 **[I picked up various things over the time with my previous hosts. They might not have been able to use me, but it's not like I was just sleeping the whole time either. Oh, and watch where you're walking.]**

 _"What do you-"_

Before I could complete that thought, I found myself bumping into a white bundle of cloth, sending us both flying to the ground.

A cute sounding "Hawaa" came from the person I just bumped into as they face planted. The results of the fall was displayed to everybody nearby as the dress of the girl (assuming) rode up all the way to her lower back. It also caused the suitcase she was carrying to explode open with her clothes, undergarments included.

Now that I had taken a better look at the person, I could see that she was a girl. A very short one at that, I'd say she was around the same size as Koneko. Her golden blonde hair was covered with a slightly skewed white veil that one would see nuns normally wearing. She had emerald green eyes that looked around in panic as she regarded her scattered baggage. The girl quickly moved to start gathering all of her clothes while simultaneously fixing the veil and blue dress she was wearing.

The first thought that crossed my mind was cute. Unbearably cute. Like, Koneko levels of cute.

Wait.

I forcibly shook my head to dispel all unneeded thoughts at the moment and started helping the girl pick up her clothes. She looked at me confused at first but graciously accepted my help with a nod and a nervous smile.

After we had finished collecting all of the girl's strewn clothes and forcibly stuffed them back into her suitcase, she gave a sigh of relief bowed to me.

"Um... Thank you for your help."

"It's no problem. It was my fault in the first place that happened. So, I'm sorry."

The girl appeared to be surprised for a second before she composed herself again.

"Oh, no, not at all. I wasn't watching where I was going either."

"You look like you're not from around here. Are you here on vacation?"

"No. I'm not," she shook her head. "I'm actually a nun, and I got transferred to the church in this city, but, um... I kind of got lost. It doesn't help that I can't speak Japanese very well and nobody I spoke to could speak Italian either."

I see. Buchou did mention that one of a Devil's abilities is to be able to understand any spoken language in the world, and be able to speak them as well.

"Well, it's a good thing you ran into me then. There's only one church in this town that I know of, so I can lead you there."

 **[That's probably not such a good idea, partner. Rias will skin you alive if she finds out.]**

 _"Let's hope that she doesn't then."_

The nun seemed overjoyed after hearing my words.

"Are you sure? I won't be too much trouble?"

After receiving my answer in the form of a nod, she quickly clasped her hands together and started praying.

"Oh, this is great! This must be due to God's good grace that I met such a kind person."

I grimaced slightly at the mention of the biblical lord's name. Maybe this wouldn't be such a good idea, but I already said I'd lead her to the church so I can't back out now. I just hope that nobody attacks me on the way.

* * *

The nun's name is apparently Asia Argento. That was definitely Italian. We were walking along the path, chatting about all things Japan, when we heard somebody crying. The source of the crying appeared to be a little boy who had fallen and scraped his knee. I made to go help him, but Asia immediately rushed to boy's side and knelt down.

"Boys shouldn't be crying over such a small wound you know," she tried to lecture him while waggling her finger.

The boy just looked at her in confusion in response. I watched as Asia hovered both her hands over the boy's knee and a faint green light enveloped her hands.

 _"Ddraig. Is that-?"_

 **[Yeah. It's a Sacred Gear.]**

 _"Do you which one it is?"_

 **[If I had to guess, I'd say that it's Twilight Healing. It's supposed to be able to heal any wound on anything.]**

 _"So both Angels and Devils can be healed with her power then?"_

 **[That's right. You probably know where this is going, don't you.]**

 _"I do."_

Ddraig sighed. **[Just don't do anything stupid.]**

When my attention returned back to Asia, the boy was already walking off with his mother while shouting out a thank you. I looked to Asia to find that she had the exact same confused look the boy had when she spoke to him.

"He said "Thank you, miss"," I translated for her.

After hearing those words, Asia's face immediately brightened up in one of the purest smiles I've ever seen. Why is it that so many of the people I know here remind of the people I knew in my original world?

"Come on, let's go."

As we began making our way towards the church again, we started chatting again. Asia, as it turns out, was extremely sheltered, she knew very little about the real world, most likely due to the church restricting her movement because of her power. I kind of understood, though, Asia had a power that any of the races would take advantage of if they got their hands on her if it really was what Ddraig said it was. Why would they send her over here to Japan though? And without an escort even. With her being such an important person to the church, why would she have no security? Especially in this city filled with Devils. Something doesn't feel right here.

When we reached the top of the hill where the church lay, Asia offered me to join her inside for some tea. I had to refuse by making an excuse that I had to get to school or risk being late, considering that the church was Angel territory and if I took even one step in there, I'd be stuck full with spears of light. It may just have been an excuse, but it was still true.

* * *

The moment I entered the club room, Buchou immediately grabbed me and dragged to me to one of the couches, before forcefully sitting me down.

She did not look happy.

Her face was set in a stern glare as I prepared myself for the inevitable lecture.

"Saya. It seems like you don't quite understand what it means to be a Devil, do you?"

I tried to feign ignorance with a smile and a tilt of my head.

It didn't seem to work, as the crimson-haired third year just frowned and sighed while massaging her temple.

"I thought you would be smarter than this. The only reason you weren't killed when you got near that church was because you were escorting a religious figure. If you had gone near that place in any other circumstance, the Angels wouldn't hesitate to destroy you. Light is a Devil's weakness. Being killed by a spear of light means that you get completely obliterated. Nothing remains. It's like you'll be completely erased from existence!"

The rise in her voice caused me to flinch slightly. She was right, though. I knew that I was taking a huge risk by going to the church, but I couldn't just coldly leave Asia on her own in a country that she doesn't understand. The only problem is that I couldn't get the nagging feeling that something was off about Asia out of my mind.

I nodded and looked Buchou in the eye, "I understand, and I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise."

Hearing that I had understood how dangerous it was for me to be near holy places like that, she smiled and stroked my head.

"Good. I'm glad that you understand."

Sorry Buchou, but I'm probably going to have to break that promise. I have to know that Asia will be alright staying at that church. This situation was starting to look unsettlingly familiar to a certain one I had experienced in the past. I just hope that the feeling I have is wrong.

"Ara, ara. Buchou, you can't just pamper Saya all by yourself, Let me have some fun too."

"Eep!"

I started at the sudden proximity of Akeno's voice. I was too absorbed in Buchou's hand to notice that Akeno had made her way behind me, and was now patting my head as well.

After a few more minutes of blissful head pats, we moved onto the more pressing topic at hand. Apparently, there were reports of a Stray Devil killing people in the area, and we had to take care of it.

* * *

A short trip through the transport circle later, the Occult Research Club found ourselves standing in front a warehouse looking structure. Why did I expect this? Of course a low level first boss would be hiding themselves in an abandoned warehouse.

As we made our way inside, Koneko slightly frowned at the rancid, iron smell of the place.

"Smells like blood."

"You're right."

When I instinctively agreed with her, the others all looked at me like I had grown a second head.

Yuumi tried sniffing the air, but only shook her head and said, "I don't smell anything."

Oh. Crap. I just assumed that because Koneko could smell it that everybody else could. She must be a half as well. Wait. She couldn't be part cat, could she? I mean, there's no way. If she was hiding her identity wouldn't it make more sense to choose a name that didn't literally mean kitten?

The others just shrugged it off when I made an excuse about my sense of smell being better than most people, but Koneko still looked a bit skeptical. I made a mental note to them them what I really was eventually, but I'll have to keep it a secret for now. I don't think I'm ready for it yet.

As we made our way closer towards the source of the smell with Koneko in the lead, we occasionally came across dried blood stains splattered on the walls and floor. It looked like whoever this Stray was enjoyed making bloody messes. Then again, most Strays are supposed to be insane.

When we reached what appeared to be the center of the warehouse, the stench had grown unbearably strong and we could see countless dead and rotting bodies piled up and scattered around the area with pools of dried blood to match it. The bodies were all mutilated in some way with chunks of flesh seemingly bitten out of them and limbs that were haphazardly torn off. Not to mention that some of them seemed to have had parts of their skin scraped off. It was a grotesque scene for sure, but I had learned how to deal with it after so long. Just think of it as if you're inside a video game and you won't start to have nightmares for the rest of your life.

Everyone was one alert as we scanned the shadows for any movements as Buchou started speaking to me.

"Since this will be you first fight, it would be a good idea for you to sit on the side and watch to experience what it's like fighting as a Devil in a peerage."

I nodded. It made sense. The others in the peerage had quite a while to get accustomed to their own abilities and each other's so they can cover for each other's weaknesses. "Right. I understand."

Buchou hummed in approval. "Good. Do you still remember what I explained to you about the Evil Pieces and their individual traits?"

Nodding in confirmation again, I began to reiterate what Buchou had told me earlier. "Evil Pieces came to be as a result of the Great War between the factions as a way for the Devils to recruit and strengthen their exhausted army, but it eventually became more of a sport for Devils when the Rating Games popped up. The pieces are based on chess pieces where each of the individual pieces get their own specific traits. The 'Pawns' are the weakest as they don't get any bonuses to their abilities, but they can 'Promote' to any of the other pieces except for 'King' if they are in enemy territory. 'Rooks' are granted immense attack power and near impenetrable defense. 'Knights' are gifted with unrivaled speed, while 'Bishops' have increased magic reserves and strengthened spells. The 'Queen' gains all of these buffs, and the 'King' gets a general increase in power and ties all the pieces together."

I took a moment to catch my breath and looked expectantly at Buchou.

She smiled proudly and starting stroking my head. Ah... I could die happy if I could have these every day.

"Yes. That is more or less the gist of it. I'm honestly surprised you remembered that much of what I told you. I gave you quite the lecture that day with the history of Devils."

While Buchou was praising me, Yuumi calmly walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder to catch her attention.

"Buuchou, it's here."

Hearing that, she immediately let go of me and prepared herself. I looked around and saw the others had already gotten into what seemed like a formation. Yuumi was at the very front carrying a one-handed sword. She must be a 'Pawn' or a 'Knight' then. Koneko stood slightly behind and to the side of Yuumi while cracking her knuckles. I can assume a 'Pawn' or a 'Rook' in this case. Akeno floated in the air behind them, but in front of us. 'Bishop', but most likely 'Queen' due to her closeness with Buchou. That thought made me wonder what piece I was. I honestly didn't mind being any of the pieces, but if it turns out that I'm a 'Bishop' then we are royally screwed. I have never cast a magic spell in the entirety of all my lives and I don't plan to in the future ones either. All I need are a variety of weapons and tools to get me through a battle. It doesn't matter what it is, one-handed swords, two-handed swords, maces, daggers, bows, axes, warhammers, guns, cannons, or whatever. If it exists, then I can use it in someway to beat down an enemy. Hell, a book is one of the strongest weapons in my arsenal. If all else fails, though, I could always just run away.

Buuchou cleared her throat and puffed out her chest.

"Stray Devil Viser! We have come to put an end to you for killing your 'King'," she announced.

In response, a giant form started to move from the shadows and into the light. It started laughing maniacally as if it thought this whole situation was hilarious. When the form had fully stepped out into the light, I immediately sweatdropped at the sight in front of me. It was a naked woman carrying a pair of bloodied lances, but her lower body was that of a large four-legged creature of some kind. Forget boss, she looks more like a low level mid-boss than anything else. If she was a gigantic satanic monster, I'd be a bit more impressed.

"Kihihihi," the Stray giggled. "What a pretty little thing you are. I can't wait to bathe in your blood, little girl."

Buchou just ignored the threat as if it were nothing, and it probably was considering how confident she looked right now.

"No matter who it is, you Strays are all the same. All bark, and no bite. Yuumi, go."

I watched as the Prince seemingly disappeared from sight before reappearing in front of Viser and slashing both of her arms off at blinding speeds. 'Knight' it is, then. The poor thing didn't even have time to react and when she finally registered that her arms were now lying on the floor in puddles of blood, she screamed in pain and started stomping and thrashing around.

Buchou simply just stood beside me smiling. "As you can probably guess now, Yuumi is a 'Knight' and her preferred weapons are swords."

Next, Koneko dashed up to one of Viser's legs that was just about to smash down into the ground and caught it. Without a word, or even a grunt of exertion, the petite girl lifted the Stray up into the air and slammed her down into the ground in a sort of improvised suplex that created a massive crater.

I stared in awe at how effortless Koneko made that all seem. I knew that 'Rooks' gained physical strength and defense, but I didn't expect it to be this much. Just one punch from her could probably shatter all the bones in my body.

When I looked towards Akeno, I noticed that she had an unsettling smile on her face and she looked like she couldn't wait to get a shot at the Stray.

"Akeno, your turn."

"Ufufu. Of course, Buchou."

As Akeno started flying slowly towards the downed and stunned Stray, her smile became even more and more unsettling. So much, that it made cold shivers run down my spine.

"Ara ara, you look like you're in pain there, but you still seem to have some fire left in you. Let me fix that," Akeno said in glee as she raised a hand into the air.

Lighting came crashing down onto the Stray as she brought her hand down. Viser shrieked in pain as the electricity coursed through her body and fried her, but Akeno didn't stop there. She kept raining down thunderbolt after thunderbolt, all while laughing sadistically with a slightly flushed face at the Stray's screams.

I must have been projecting my shock on my face because Buchou put her hand on my shoulder to try to reassure me.

"Akeno is my 'Queen', and so she is my most powerful piece. Not to mention, she is also and extreme sadist."

I felt my face heat up at those words, and shook my head to try to clear my thoughts.

"I-I see. Th-that's... nice..." Was all I could stutter out. I was definitely going to need a cold shower later to cool myself down.

Both Yuumi and Koneko had walked up to us when they were finished their part and were now looking at me strangely.

It was then that I realized what I had just said.

 **[Wow, partner. Didn't know you were into that kinda stuff.]**

 _"Sh-Shut up Ddraig! It's not like that!"_

"N-no! I didn't mean it in that way! It's not like I was imagining anything about Akeno, and even if I did, I definitely wouldn't enjoy it! You got it!?" I frantically tried to explain to them while I felt my face heat up even further. Meanwhile, Ddraig was laughing his ass off and kept calling me a tsundere. I wanted to smash that stupid dragon's head in so much right now.

Koneko deadpanned and called me a pervert as Yuumi looked to the side and laughed nervously.

Buchou just looked amused, but I could see hints of sparkles in her eyes as if she was a scientist of some kind and had just found a rare specimen.

"Well, don't worry," she said with a forced smile. "Akeno is kind to her allies, and she has taken a particular liking to you. So don't hesitate to ask to be pampered by her the next time you get the chance to."

I puffed out my cheeks at their reactions and humphed. "I said that I didn't enjoy the idea of Akeno tying me up and doing whatever she wanted with me! Why don't you guys understand that?"

"Ara, if you say that, you'll hurt my feelings you now."

I jumped and quickly turned around to see that Akeno had finished torturing the Stray Devil and was now standing very close to me. Too close! Her nose was nearly touching mine and she looked just about ready to attack me. Quickly trying to shift the attention away from me, I backed up and pointed to Viser's smoking and burnt body and asked, "Hey, shouldn't we be paying more attention to her? You know. The smell of this place is really starting to get to me."

Akeno put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Buchou, would you like to do the honors?" She then turned to me and winked. "Of course, don't think that I'll forget about this little conversation. I'll have to pay you back for hurting my feelings like that."

No more. I couldn't take it anymore. The embarrassment was too much. I buried my face in my hands and groaned. I wanted nothing more than to lock myself in my house and never come out again. Why? Why could I smooth talk so well, but also be so weak to teasing. It didn't make any sense!

I was brought out of my thoughts as I caught Buchou raising an arm towards Viser's face and a mass of demonic energy completely engulfed the Stray's body and destroyed her. There wasn't a single thing left. No ashes, no blood, not even a strand of hair. It was like Viser had never even existed. Was this Buchou's power? I completely forgot about my earlier embarrassment and stared in awe at my master who had just annihilated the monster. Even amongst all of my travels, I had never come across a power that could so cleanly obliterate an opponent.

Buchou started making her way back to us while smiling. "Good work, everyone. You all did a great tonight."

The others all nodded and smiled back at her, and we started making our way back out of the warehouse.

As we were walking, I decided to ask Buchou about my piece.

"Ah, that's right. I still haven't told you that, right? You're a 'Pawn', Saya."

I see. Yes. That's good. That's the best case scenario. I have the power to fight however I want, like I'm used to. 'Promoting' to a 'Rook' for tanking and bruising, 'Knight' for kiting and 'Queen' as a last resort.

My mind returned to Asia. How was she doing? Was she alright? Whenever I thought about her, the uneasy feeling in my stomach started up again. It might just be because I had bad experiences in the past with a similar situation, but on the off chance that it wasn't because of that, I have to be prepared. Since I'm a Devil, anywhere holy could be considered enemy territory.

With those thoughts in my mind, I bid the others goodnight and made my way home to continue my preparations. I wanted to keep my powers a secret if I had to, but if my hunch was right, then I'm going to have to use the Vault very soon.

 **[Rias will definitely kill you if you do that, you know? That is, if you don't get killed for trying to pull off such a stupid idea.]**

I sighed. Yes. She definitely would

* * *

-Stat Sheet-

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (E-)

 **Endurance:** D+ (E-)

 **Agility:** B (E-)

 **Magic:** E- (N/A)

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (N/A) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A (N/A) - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- (N/A) - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX (N/A) - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (N/A) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ (N/A) - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX (N/A) - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Currently sealed.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one. Currently sealed.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX (N/A) - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX (N/A) - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX (N/A) - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX (N/A) - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX (N/A) - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX (N/A) - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Note:** Skills will be unlocked not based on training, but on Saya's motivations and emotions during battle. The unlock conditions on abilities vary.


	5. Raid the Church 1

**AN:** So, thank you for your support, as always. I've decided to maybe do an one-shot or two on the side whenever I feel like doing something different. So I'll be uploading one alongside this chapter. That's also why this chapter took a bit of time to update, and if people like the side stories enough, I might consider continuing them as a series. Also, most of them won't be tied to this story at all. They're mostly just gonna be their own things. There will also be little extras at the end of each chapter occasionally so look forward to those as well.

 **Disclaimer:** You know the drill.

* * *

I opened my eyes when the light had died down to find that I had been teleported to somebody's house again. Most of the requests I had been receiving lately had me doing various menial tasks for different people who were either too lazy or too busy. Were Devils really meant to babysit, and do chores because people are just lazy? Why not just hire somebody else to do it instead of calling on a Devil. I'm sure the cost would be the same. People these days. I had to journey across the world and into the Dimensional Rift without any sleep or rest for about forty straight days while fighting off all sorts of monsters and wild animals. Not to mention that I also had to kill an almost omnipotent god that took it easy on me because he was bored out of his mind and wanted someone to come along and kill him.

So as I made my way through the house, I was silently grumbling about what other stupid tasks I would be given this time, until I noticed that it was eerily silent and that none of the lights were on. The air also felt slightly oppressive and thick. It almost felt like it was slightly pushing down on me.

"Hello..?" I hesitantly called out, "Is anybody there?"

I kept making my way through the house until I came across a slightly ajar door with a faint light flickering through the opening. Blood. I could smell blood coming from the room.

Taking a deep breath, I summoned Boosted Gear to start building up my power and slowly pushed open the door while peeking around the room for signs of a threat. When I had fully opened the door and stepped into the room, I was taken aback by the sight of what lay in front of me. A man was strung up upside down on the wall in front of me with his guts hanging out in the open on full display. His face was set in a permanent look of horror and pain that was made more prevalent by the lit candles surrounding the corpse. All in all, it looked to be some sort of sick ritual.

I covered my nose at the stench coming from the mutilated corpse.

It was then that I noticed that something was written on the wall beside the victim in his own blood.

As I was in the process of reading it, a man's voice sounded out behind me.

"That reads, "Punishment for those who did bad deeds." Pretty fitting, don't you think?"

I turned around to see who it was and-

"Sara?!"

"Huh? Who the fuck is Sara? My name is Freed Sellzen, you shitty Devil. Although, you don't have to remember that 'cause you'll be dead real soon~!"

Ah. Crap. That coat looked a lot like Sara's and the candle-light made his white hair look ice blonde. Dammit, I can't believe I let my guard down like that.

"I'm an exorcist you see? It's my job to cut up Devils like you. Don't worry though~. It might hurt a lot at first, but it'll start to feel reeeaaal good soon after."

I grimaced at the clearly insane man's words. This guy was nutty beyond belief as I watched him dance around and sing about all the things he'd do to my body when he's killing me.

Not wanting to hear anymore of his rambling, I promptly interrupted him by sending a punch to his face with Boosted Gear which caused him to fly back into a wall. Even though I can only manage three boosts right, now, the punch should be able to knock him out.

I was proven wrong when the exorcist slowly staggered to his feet.

"Ihihihi~. That was a good punch lil' miss Devil~! Now I can't wait to cut you and fill you up with bullets!" Freed shouted with a crazed look on his face as he pulled out a gun and a small baton looking thing from his coat. He swung the baton down and a beam of light shot out from the center of it, creating a sort of makeshift blade made out of light.

So exorcists in this world have l*ghts***rs? That's a definite upgrade.

The man leveled his gun at me and shot twice at me, causing me to dive to the side to avoid the bullets. It was easy enough since this guy didn't seem to know how to lead targets. When I came out of my dive and roll, Freed had already started charging towards me with his sword raised. I dodged to the side again as he brought his sword down and delivered a fast hook to his gut. Hand-to-hand combat had never really been my strong suit, but I was trained by one of the best in a previous life so I had some experience.

As the exorcist reeled from my punch, I followed up a combination of jabs and kicks before grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the ground while disarming him of both his weapons.

I was about to finish him off when I heard a shriek come from the doorway. That sounded like... I turned around to see that Asia was standing by the open door with a look of genuine terror on her face. Following her gaze, I noticed that she was looking at the man hanging like an upside down cross on the wall.

The nun fell to her knees and screamed.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

She looked absolutely horrified as she just stared at the sight in front of her in shock. I don't even think she registered that Freed or I was there.

Wait.

Freed!

As I was turning around to see what state the exorcist was in, I was interrupted by a loud bang and a searing pain in my stomach that soon followed.

I immediately fell to the ground and clutched the gunshot wound. The amount of pain that surged from it clouded my vision as I fought to try to stand up again. That probably was a bullet made out of light energy. Damn.

"Ihihihihihi~!" The exorcist laughed maniacally as he stood there with a smoking gun in his hand. "How do you like that, huh~? Hurts doesn't it? I can't believe a shitty Devil like you managed to beat me around like that. I'm intrigued now~! So intrigued that I want to kill you as painfully as possible! Ihihihihi!"

"F-Father Freed... what..?" Asia barely managed to say as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

The crazed man glanced at Asia by the doorway, and started speaking. "Ah, Asia, how nice of you to join me. Since you're here now, that must mean the barrier is complete, right? I was just about to kill this lil' Devil here."

Asia looked at me confused, and I turned away to avoid making eye contact with her. I was going to tell her about it eventually, but this was definitely not how I wanted her to find out.

"Saya, is that true..?"

No.

Don't look at me like that.

I nodded, unable to properly form any words.

Freed's ears perked up when Asia mentioned my name.

"Oh? What's this? Could this be a forbidden love between a Holy Maiden and a Devil? Ahahaha! You've gotta be shittin' me! That's hilarious!"

The madman started cackling uncontrollably while clutching his stomach.

Gritting my teeth, I slowly forced myself to stand back up. The pain had slightly died down, but it still hurt like hell.

"Shut up you crazy bastard," I ground out.

Freed immediately stopped laughing and stared at me before he landed a sharp kick to my stomach, causing me to cry out in pain and fall back down to the ground again.

"Hm? What was that you bitch? Wanna say that again?"

"Go. To. Hell."

I screamed as the exorcist stomped on the gunshot wound and twisted his heel into it.

"Ooohh~. That was a nice sound Miss Devil. More~! Give me more of that!"

If I wasn't in so much pain, I probably would've made a snarky comment, but his repeated stomps was taking a toll on my consciousness. I could barely keep my eyes open anymore and it was getting hard to breath as well.

"Stop!"

Out of the corner of my vision I saw a gold blur rush past me and latch onto the exorcist's leg to stop it from coming down on me again.

Asia?

"Stop it! Don't hurt her anymore! She isn't a bad person!"

A small shriek came out of Asia as Freed slapped her away from his leg. She fell to the ground, clutching her red cheek with teary eyes.

"The fuck is wrong with you, bitch? Don't you know this little shit is a Devil!? I can kill all the Devils I want now because of those Fallen Angels! Those shitheads at the Vatican were too stupid to see how great it feels so don't ruin this for me," Freed sneered with a look of annoyance.

I had managed to pick myself back up again, but the pain and blood loss made me stagger unsteadily. Only if I had access to my Vault, I could heal myself in an instant, or at least escape with Asia.

Just as I was about to attack the exorcist again, a bright light flashed and enveloped the room for a brief moment.

When the light had receded, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief at what I saw. It was Buchou and the others.

Yuumi glanced at me and gave me one of her signature princely smiles as she raised a sword in front of her. "Saya, don't worry, we'll take care of this."

"A bit late, don't you think..?" I struggled to get out before collapsing into somebody's arms.

"Ara, this is quite unsightly."

I noticed that it was Akeno that caught me. As she sat me down near the wall and stood protectively in front of me, Buchou glanced worriedly at me, trying to treat the wound I had sustained, but I waved her off, telling her that I was fine.

Freed reacted as expected. He cackled with crazed grin etched onto his face and wildly brandished his sword.

"Ihihihi~! What's this? A party? For me? With so many shitty Devils here for me to cut up it's gotta be~!"

"Insane..."

Looking at Koneko, I could see that her face had scrunched up in a disgusted frown.

As the exorcist was dancing around and singing, Yuumi dashed up to him and swung her sword without another word.

A sharp metallic clang rang out throughout the room as the blonde girl's sword clashed with Freed's. The exchange of slashes and parries continued while Freed continued to spout out vulgarities.

"That's quite the mouth you have there, priest. Well I guess that means you're a Stray Exorcist doesn't it?" Yuumi said through gritted teeth.

The two appeared to be on equal ground as the fight continued. Whenever one of them seemed to gain some ground, the other pushed back and retaliated. If I were to face Yuumi with pure swordsmanship, I would probably lose. I was never one for fighting head on with skill after all. Most of the fights I won was just because of the tools I had in my arsenal combined with all the underhanded tricks I can think of. Maybe a little bit of persistence, and luck as well. Pride had never really been my thing. In the battles I fought, pride would only get you killed in an instant.

As Yuumi was fighting Freed, Akeno suddenly spoke up from in front of me.

"Buchou, there are Fallen Angels closing in on us. What do you think we should do?"

I watched as Buchou frowned and clicked her tongue. She turned to Akeno and nodded.

"Prepare for teleportation. We need to leave or else we'd be at a disadvantage," she said before she turned to Freed and raised her arm. "Yuumi!"

Without looking back, the swordswoman jumped backwards towards us, putting distance between her and Freed. A second later, a blast of Buchou's magic was sent towards the Stray Exorcist. The man barely managed to dodge in time. A massive hole appeared where he should've been and I enjoyed the look of shock on insane man's face.

"The magic circle is ready, everyone!" Akeno called out.

Yuumi wrapped one of her arms around my waist and draped my arm over her shoulder as she helped me up to my feet. Meanwhile, Koneko was chucking whatever pieces of furniture she could get her hands on at Freed to keep him busy.

As we made our way towards to circle, I glanced at Asia. She couldn't come through with us, but there was at least something I could do for her.

"Please, you need to run. Run as far away from here as you can. Please promise me that," I said to her before I was sent through the portal. Now, I can only hope that she listened and managed to get away.

* * *

It was the next day, and I already had a plan in my mind if I needed to save Asia from that crazy exorcist and the Fallen Angels. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to come to that if she did manage to escape.

 _"I guess I really am stupid huh, Ddraig?"_

 **[Hm? What do you mean, partner?]**

 _"It means that I never learn from the mistakes I make,"_

 **[Does this have something to do with one of your previous lives?]**

For once since he woke up, Ddraig seemed to be taking this conversation seriously. I guess he managed to sense my feelings.

Mentally sighing, I began to explain to him.

I started to tell him about my very first life, or rather, my very first journey. The reasons why I call it a journey is because I was reincarnated every time I died. It was like a never ending loop. I was the hero, always the hero. Every single reincarnation, no matter the body, race, gender, it was all my soul that infused into those bodies, and every single time, it was always the same main quest. Defeat the so-called Demon Lord to prevent the world from being destroyed by the Darkness. Tough luck with that, there are an infinite number of realities. I can't even remember all the times I failed and all the times I succeeded. Most of the reincarnations are all jumbled up in my memories since I only managed to gain all those memories after I got this power. But there were certain memories that were so incredibly vivid that there was no mistake that they were real. Those memories were the ones where I traveled with companions. Asia's situation right now reminded me so much of one of my previous companions.

Mila, a young girl that was separated from her father once the Darkness began swallowing the world. I took her along with me on my adventures and protected her from all the monsters that attacked us in order to reunite her with her father. Every time I succeeded in bringing her to her father, I was rewarded for my efforts with money and sometimes a piece of armor that was their family heirloom. However, not long after, I met up with Mila's father again, but Mila wasn't with him. Thinking that this was odd, I asked him about it. In the end, it turned out that Mila's father had long since been devoured by a Death Mask. A monster that can take on the form of any human it kills. The more it kills, the more "masks" it has to wear. So unknowingly, I had delivered Mila straight to her death countless times.

However, there were also other times where I ended up killing her "father" instead. There was a certain point during my adventures where the Death Masks became a common enemy I had to face, so naturally, when I had traveled that far, I was suspicious of anyone I came across.

Once I had finished with my story, Ddraig took a moment to take it all in.

 **[Is that it?]**

 _"Huh?"_

I was taken aback by Ddraig's response.

 **[You shouldn't beat yourself up over that, partner. You know that it's not your fault. There was no way for you to know that girl's old man got turned into some kind of monster. Same with the nun. There was no way for you to know that she was with that crazy priest.]**

 _"But-"_

 **[Idiot. You really are stupid if you're worrying about stuff like that. As far as you now, you were just trying to help them. So stop thinking about it and just do something instead!]**

Ddraig...

 **[Besides, it looks like your efforts this time paid off. Take a look at who's in front of you.]**

Still a bit stunned at Ddraig's motivational speech, I opened my eyes and lifted my head from the bench I was resting on to find a familiar sight of gold covering my vision.

"Awa!"

That cute cry was followed by a thump as the bundle of gold fell to the ground.

"Asia..."

I blinked a couple of times and pinched myself to make sure that I wasn't just seeing things. Once I made sure that it wasn't a dream, I scrambled to my feet and helped the small nun back onto her feet.

The young girl was fidgeting and looked extremely nervous. She opened her mouth and was just about to say something, but she was promptly interrupted by a growling sound that came from her stomach.

I watched as she buried her red face into her hands with a cute "Hau...". Her innocence

"Ah... Well, um... wanna go grab something to eat?"

* * *

We sat together in silence at a nearby fast food place. It looked like she was even more nervous now due to the little fiasco she had with the cashier. She said that she wanted to order food for herself, but because she couldn't speak or read Japanese very well, she ended up just standing there stuttering. I might have let her be for a little too long, though. Asia looked just about ready to break down when I stepped in and intervened.

Now, she looked distressed for a completely different reason. She just sat there and stared at her burger, trying to figure out what to do with the wrapped up sandwich.

"Asia," I called out to her to get her attention. "Here, you're supposed to eat it like this."

I demonstrated to her by taking the wrapper off and taking a bite of the burger. It definitely wasn't the best I ever had, but it was a pass.

The nun had a look of genuine surprise as she watched me eat.

"Wow. I didn't know there was a way to eat like that."

She slowly unwrapped her burger and held it up to her face. Asia hesitated slightly before biting off a small piece of it. A moment passed, then another, and then another, before her face burst into one of the sunniest smiles I've ever seen.

"What is this? This is really delicious!"

"It's called a hamburger. Though, most people just call them burgers," I tried to explain to her. Just as I had expected, she led an incredibly sheltered life if she's never even heard of a burger before.

Asia continued to eat happily as I mulled over the plan I had. She must have escaped somehow. I doubt that the Fallen Angels and that exorcist would just leave her on her own after what happened last night. Scanning her body over, I noticed that she didn't have any wounds on her and her clothes were clean as well. Well, with her power, I don't doubt that she'd be able to instantly heal herself if she got hurt. It looks like I won't have to stage a rescue at this rate, which means that Buchou won't murder me for being an idiot. With my Vault active now, I could probably pull it off if I played my cards just right.

"Um... Saya?"

I looked up at the sound of Asia's voice. Looks like she's done eating.

"Ah, yes? What is it?"

She pointed at my half-finished meal and asked, "Aren't you going to eat too?"

"Oh. Right. I forgot. Sorry. You were just too cute that I just couldn't take me eyes off of you,"

The nun's entire face turned red from embarrassment at my offhanded compliment as I ate the rest of my meal. After finishing up the last of my drink, I clapped my hands and stood up.

"Well, Asia. I'm free today so why don't we go have some fun?"

* * *

In the end, I decided to take Asia to an arcade that I occasionally went to when I was bored.

Ddraig snorted. **[Yeah. Sure. If you can call coming here almost every day since elementary school as occasionally.]**

 _"Shut up, stupid dragon. What else could I have done?"_

 **[I dunno. Maybe something like train for the real reason you're here in this world? If you did that, you wouldn't be so incredibly pathetic right now.]**

 _"Well sorry for wanting to lay back and take a break. Even I want to relax every once in a while you know."_

The red dragon just sighed exasperatedly and stopped talking. In the mean time, Asia was fumbling with the steering wheel for a racing game. I decided to just watch her, considering that my skill for driving vehicles is almost as bad as my skill with magic. The last time I drove something was an expensive motorcycle someone let me borrow which I almost immediately sent it into a fiery inferno with it as the catalyst. Needless to say, I was harshly "executed" for my transgressions. Having to sleep in a room that's near freezing for an entire week was not fun. That was almost one hundred years ago too. Thinking back, I really got to know some amazing people. Ah... that's right. That girl had red hair as well. She was also incredibly similar to Buchou in terms of their position. Both 'Kings' in their own right, but one is fiery, while the other was icy.

Returning my attention to Asia, I had noticed that she managed to score fourth place in the game.

"Good work! That's way better than what I would've got," I praised her while rubbing her head.

"Hawa!"

The nun started at my sudden presence. It seems like she got a bit too absorbed into the game.

After that, I gave her a short tour of all of my favorite machines, which mostly consisted of fighting games. HDS is ranked one in the world for any fighting game there is! She's already beat down all of her contestants with perfects so she dares for anyone to come and challenge her!

 **[Partner...]**

Ehem.

Anyways, we ended the little experience with a couple of rounds on the crane game. Of course, when you've lived for as long as I have, you get to learn a couple of tricks here and there for these rigged machines. Things like hooking the plastic ring attached to the tags for most stuffed animals, or hooking under the flaps for anything in boxes.

In the end, I managed to get a matching set of rabbit plushies for us both. Mine was blue and had a small minus sign on its forehead, and hers was pink with a plus sign instead. Ah... the way she hugged it when I handed it to her was too cute! That's it. I'll definitely protect her.

"Asia," I called her name to get her attention. We were at a park now and the sun was beginning to set.

"Hm?" She looked up at me from the ice cream she was eating.

"No matter what happens. Just remember that I'll always be your friend and that I will protect you with everything I have."

The girl looked at me surprised for a second, before gaining a look of apprehension.

"This isn't a pact with a Devil, is it?"

Shaking my head, I placed a reassuring hand on her head.

"No. Of course not."

"But, um... Are you sure? I'm not very smart, and I don't know a lot of things, and, and I-."

Before she could continue, I wrapped my arms around her in an embrace.

"You shouldn't worry about all those things. Friends are supposed to look out for each other. If you don't know something, then I can teach you. If you're ever in trouble, I will save you. Didn't you have a lot of fun today? Didn't you learn a lot as well?"

The small girl nodded, but then looked up at me with teary eyes.

"But... What can I do for you? I'm completely useless..."

"No. That's not true. You can heal me, can't you? If I ever get hurt, then you can heal me with your power, and in return, I'll help you in whatever way I can."

After hearing those words from me, she burst out into tears and started telling me all about her life story.

She told me about how she was a Holy Maiden from the church.

She told me about how she was completely isolated from other people and the outside world because of her power.

She told me she was happy though, getting to use her power to heal people.

But then she told me about how it all changed when she healed the wrong person.

A Devil.

But she didn't know.

In the end, the church found out about it, and called her a heretic.

They excommunicated her for a mistake she made.

A mistake that she didn't even know she was making.

They trained her and molded her into the person she was.

A kind-hearted, gentle soul that would heal anybody without question as long as they were hurt.

So she had no choice.

She had to seek sanctuary somewhere, and the Fallen Angels were the ones that reached out to her.

I sighed.

Of course.

That was one of the theories I had thought up of.

But it didn't make me feel any less disgusted.

I reached into my pocket and pretended to rummage around for a bit. In actuality, I was reaching into my Vault for a certain item.

There it was.

When I took out my hand, I told Asia to close her eyes. After she did, and I made sure that they were completely closed, I reached around to the back of her neck and tied a knot with a piece of string.

"Okay. You can open your eyes now."

The girl's emerald green eyes slowly cracked open and widened in shock at the sight of the object hanging from her neck.

"It... It's beautiful..."

It was a pendant. One of the only ones I ever made. The pendant had a simple silver ring, surrounding a glittering jade that hasn't lost its sheen even after all the time that had passed since it was created. The jade itself was easily over thousands of years old and its condition hasn't changed at all.

"That item is very precious to me. It contains a part of my soul in it, so whenever you're in trouble, just hold it and call for me."

Time was running out, I could sense them approaching already. Four Fallen Angels were closing in on us according to Ddraig, so I had to wrap up this conversation as fast as I could.

"Saya-"

I put a finger to her lips to stop her from continuing.

"Keep it. No doubt it'll come in handy soon. So when the time comes, don't hesitate to use it."

 **[Partner. Get ready.]**

 _"Don't worry, Ddraig. I'm not planning to fight them now. Not when I'm at such a huge disadvantage."_

The sound of flapping wings descended from the sky as four Fallen Angels flew down towards us. I recognized one of them as Yuuma, and it looked like she recognized me as well.

'Yuuma' sneered down at me and started speaking, "Oh? What's this? You survived and got reincarnated as a Devil?"

Instead of responding, I just gently pushed Asia forward.

"Go on," I said.

Asia hesitated for a second. She looked at me worriedly, but when I gave her a reassuring smile, she started walking towards the Fallen Angels.

Another Fallen Angel, a man in a fedora and trenchcoat spoke up, "You're handing her over just like that? What are you plotting?"

"I know when I'm outmatched, and to be frank, I don't want to die again so soon after I was revived."

"Is that so? And what's stopping us from just killing you right now?"

I grinned.

"Because if you were to kill me, you'd have the whole of the Gremory house right on your tails. You wouldn't survive the night."

"Hm..." The man appeared to be thinking deeply for a second. "Alright. Fair enough. We may be the superior race, but having to kill all those Devils would be too troublesome."

"Stop with your useless babbling, Dohnaseek. We have what we came for. There's no point in delaying the ritual any longer," 'Yuuma' said while flying away with Asia in her arms.

"Hmph. Very well. I bid you farewell, Devil," the Fallen Angel known as Dohnaseek said with a tilt of his hat before flying away with the other two Fallen Angels in tow.

I breathed in deeply before letting out a heavy sigh as I watched them fly away with Asia. Preparations would be needed very soon. If all goes according to plan, I'll walk out of that church with Asia and Buchou will probably kill me. If not, I'll be obliterated by light spears and then Buchou would hunt my soul down and kill me.

* * *

 **Omake: Why Girls?**

I was just relaxing in the ORC club room, drinking Akeno's always delicious tea and sharing sweets with Koneko when Buchou suddenly asked me a question.

"Saya. Do you have any particular reason why you're a lesbian? I've always wanted to know that, but I never got the chance to ask you before."

I coughed and spluttered as I almost choked on the tea I was drinking.

"Wh-what kind of question is that?"

"Well," Buchou adopted a pose I took to calling tsundere twin-tail lecture pose #2 where she had one hand crossed under her chest to hold her other arm's elbow while her other hand was pointing upwards. "I just want to get to know you better. You are a part of my peerage now after all. Is that not a valid reason?"

"Ara. I would like to hear the reason too," Akeno spoke up from her seat in front of me.

"Yes. I as well," Yuumi added.

I looked towards Koneko and she gave me a curt nod.

Seeing that there was probably no way out of the situation, I decided that I might as well just go along with it.

To be honest, I never really gave it too much thought.

Thinking back, I realized that I never really had a romantic involvement with any men, even in my original journey. I mean, I did travel with male companions but...

One of them was an idiot mercenary that called himself Pantyshot just because he thought it would be funny to hear his enemies yell out his name during battle. His skills with a sword were definitely nothing to laugh at, though.

Another was a tin can, well, not really, but he was just an empty suit of armor being animated by Force (magic power). Duke Galtz was an amazing fighter, but I wasn't really into embracing cold, hard steel with dark shadows leaking out of the joints.

There was King Victor, but he was an asshole that abandoned his kingdom when the Darkness came. He did have a good reason for it though, but I wasn't really into old men either. He did have his use with how much firepower he had with his Force Powers (spells).

Albert, a time/world traveler that ended up in that world because of a malfunction with his warp machine or whatever. He was a pretty decent guy, but I just couldn't support his feeding habits. I swear. I spent ninety percent of my money on food for him for all the adventures I had with him as a companion. Not to mention that his rifle would always jam whenever I needed his help the most.

Was there anybody else?

Oh yeah, there was that guard that occasionally joined me if I was "charismatic" enough. I don't even think he gave me his name, and he never even talked either. He did make for a great meat shield though.

Then, my mind went towards the female companions I had.

Dosey was one of the most adorable companions I ever had. She had a love for Nayuta fruits, but in the middle of our adventures, she would always transform into a Killer Hound. It turned out that getting bit by one has a werewolf like effect on people, providing that they survive the attacks. Before she transformed, she would heal me and provide medicine for me. It was one of the drugs she made that managed to placate her when she turned her into a Killer Hound and attacked me.

There was Frieda. Even with the short time we had together, I had enjoyed it to the fullest. She passed soon after I completed the quest of defeating the Demon Lord. The reason was because she had died already in the initial attack of monsters that the Darkness had sent out. But her father, King Victor, revived her and imprisoned her in a stronghold. Even though she was a princess, she handled a sword just as good as Galtz. Well, he was her bodyguard so that made sense.

There was Mila. She didn't quite help out in battles that much, but she was a great motivational support for me. Not to mention that she managed to make some kind of brainwashing drug for me to use. How a young teenage girl managed that? I'll never know.

Of course, there was Sara. The woman whom I felt the most guilty about. I killed her countless times in the past. Sara Lucrucious, also known as the Demon Lord. In the end, it turns out that she was chosen to be the sacrifice in order to stop the Darkness from consuming the world. Every century, the Darkness would awake and an immortal like Sara, or Victor would be chosen to take on the mantle of the Demon Lord to summon the Darkness before it reached its full power. In order to stop it, the summoner would need to be killed. Suicide wouldn't work. It had to be murder. In the end, I managed to surpass all expectations and slayed the dragon that was responsible for the Darkness with her help.

Then, there was Iris. The fairy that had accompanied me throughout every adventure right from the start. She was created by King Victor to assist me on my quest. She helped me through the thick in thin, and even provided combat support for me if I fought alone for a long time. She was without a doubt one of the closest companions I had. That reminds me. She's probably incredibly angry with me right now.

In the end, though, all of them were my precious companions and the good memories we made with each other would never fade from my mind.

Shaking my head, I brought myself out of my memories. After finally deciding on an answer, I opened my mouth to speak.

"I guess... it's just because I feel that way."

* * *

-Stat Sheet-

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Human(?)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (E-)

 **Endurance:** D+ (E-)

 **Agility:** B (E-)

 **Magic:** E- (N/A)

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (N/A) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A (N/A) - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- (C-) - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX (EX) - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (N/A) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ (N/A) - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX (EX) - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Currently sealed.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one. Currently sealed.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX (N/A) - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX (N/A) - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX (N/A) - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX (N/A) - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX (N/A) - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX (N/A) - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - ?

 **Note:** Skills will be unlocked not based on training, but on Saya's motivations and emotions during battle. The unlock conditions on abilities vary.


	6. Raid the Church 2

**AN:** So nothing much to say up here, but the usual stuff. To be honest, this chapter is almost basically a pure action scene. Not to mention I took quite a few liberties with the story in order to showcase Saya' fighting style and upgrade some of her stats. Anyways, sorry for the long wait. Midterms and such.

 **Disclaimer:** Does anyone even bother reading whatever is above this line?

* * *

 **[Do you really think the nun'll call on you?]**

Ddraig asked the question that had been on my mind since Asia got taken away.

 _"If she doesn't, then I'll just have to improvise."_

I was currently in my room, gearing up and preparing for the mess that I was going to get myself into. This would be, without a doubt, a very tough battle considering that I'm attacking a place that has four Fallen Angels, a crazy former exorcist and who knows what else all by myself.

Checking the straps wrapped around my waist, I made sure that my swords and other assortment of tools were secured correctly. A pair of generic steel short swords, barbed caltrops tipped with a paralyzing poison, smoke bombs, grappling hook, firecrackers, grenades, etc. etc. I would name everything I had attached to me right now, but that would take all day so I won't. All of these items were either strapped onto my belt our hidden under the black coat with gold trims I had on. The gear I had on was light, but it did offer adequate protection from attacks. How it would fair against a light spear? No idea.

Those Fallen Angels were talking about some sort of ritual that they needed Asia for. That must mean that they either need her as a sacrifice for something, or they want to take her Sacred Gear for themselves. The second option seemed more plausible due to the nature of her Sacred Gear.

 _"Hey, Ddraig. What would happen if someone got their Sacred Gear extracted out of them?"_

 **[Death. The Sacred Gear is an integral part of a person's soul. To remove it would no doubt kill the host,]** the dragon explained.

I sighed.

 _"So if she doesn't call me, then I can assume that the worst has happened."_

 **[That's right. Although, that probably won't stop you from going, will it?]**

 _"That's why we're partners. You always know what I'm thinking."_

 **[Yep. Sometimes, though, I wish I didn't.]**

 _"What? Hey! What's that supposed to mean you dumb dragon?!"_

The red dragon just whistled nonchalantly in response.

Ugh. Whatever. I decided to ignore that last comment. It certainly sounded like something rude. Even though we took a jab at each other once in a while, I still liked Ddraig. In all honesty, he was kind of like an older brother figure to me.

After finishing the last of my checks, I proceeded to wait.

And wait.

And wait...

And...

Wait...

"God! Ow..." I flinched in pain when I mentioned the the biblical lord's name. I really need to get used to that. "This is so boring! Ddraig, tell me a joke or something."

 **[Then go play some games or something. And don't talk to me out loud.]**

"Whatever. Nobody's home and-"

Just as I was about to refuse Ddraig's suggestion, I felt a pull on my soul. My body immediately tensed up and my previous carefree smile had been replaced with a grim frown.

"Ddraig."

 **[Right.]**

The light, joking mood we had earlier was now completely gone and was replaced by a serious one. With absolutely no support, things might go horribly wrong, but no matter what. I'll make sure that I'll keep Asia safe. I looked at the mask that I held in my hand. It was a white and made out of porcelain. Fairly plain, but it was the expression that was carved into it that made it special. A twisted jester's smile. The mask originally came with a curse, but it had long since been dispelled by somebody. I slipped the mask over my face and secured it. It wasn't like I needed to conceal my identity or something. I just needed it for intimidation.

A light enveloped my body as I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was to come.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in what looked like a basement. Surrounded by exorcists and the Fallen Angel 'Yuuma'. Wow. Talk about low-level goons. These guys even looked like generic factory made underlings. Incredibly boring faces paired with

Even though they were nothing much to look at, there were still more of them than me. Much more. That made them dangerous. Luckily, I had prepared for a situation like this.

With a sweep of my hand and a bow, I greeted the stunned and confused group.

"Good evening to you all. I hope that you have been enjoying this day to your fullest, as it will be the last one you'll have, ladies and gentlemen."

Looks like my intimidation tactics worked. The mask and the threat was having the desired effect on them. They all simultaneously backed off away from me when they had registered what I said. The fat one appeared to be sweating profusely and hyperventilating even. Didn't expect the mask to work that well.

Phase one complete. Onto the next.

I snaked my hands towards my belt and threw a couple of smoke bombs onto the ground. The resulting smokescreen began enveloping the entire room, effectively blinding all of the occupants. Including me. Without further delay, I began running through the ring of people towards the direction where I was feeling a pull from. I only had a couple of minutes to find Asia before the smoke dissipates.

When I had reached the area where the pendant was drawing me towards, I found that they had strung her up on some kind of cross. She looked incredibly weak, As if...

Did they already finish the ritual?

"Asia!" I tried calling out to her.

The nun's eyes fluttered open and stared blearily at me. At first, she didn't recognize me, but when I took of my mask, her eyes widened.

"Saya? Is that you..? You really came for me..?"

"Of course. Don't worry, I'll get you down from there right away."

I hurriedly undid the binding that were holding her to the cross while slipping the mask back on. Once she was free, I picked her up and carried her bridal style in my arms. There was no time to waste. If I don't get out of here soon then I'll be caught in the middle of all these exorcists. Trusting my instincts, I began running in opposite direction I ran when heading towards Asia.

There!

The smoke was almost completely gone now, but the exorcists were still stumbling around and coughing. 'Yuuma' wasn't in the room anymore, though. Did she slip out when I was preoccupied with Asia?

I kicked open the door once I got to it and sprinted up the stairs, taking three at a time.

Once I had reached the top of the stairs, I took a moment to regain my breath.

Until I felt the cold steel of a gun barrel press against the back of my head and a familiar crazed voice started speaking.

"Oh? What do we have here? A mysterious masked hero appeared to save the little princess? The fuck? That's like, the most cliche thing ever you dipshit!"

Freed. Of course. I didn't see him down there with the other exorcists. That must've meant that he was somewhere else. I mentally smacked myself for being so careless again.

"Not gonna talk? Seriously. You're taking this whole hero thing a bit too far ain't ya? You probably just wanna fuck her don't ya? Hm~? Hm~? How about it? Isn't that right, Mr. Hero~?"

Stop that. It's seriously creepy when you say it like that. Only Akeno can pull off the sickly sweet thing.

"Tch. You're no fun. You know that? That bitch Devil from before was-"

Before he could continue, I rudely interrupted him with a swift heel kick to his nether region. That felt so very satisfying.

Critical hit to the nads, as a certain brown-haired young man with orange headphones would say.

The exorcist doubled over in pain and I began my escape again.

This time, however, I was stopped by a light spear that soared past my head and stuck itself into the ground in front of me.

I sighed when I heard the raven-haired Fallen Angel's condescending voice.

"Just where do you think you're going, you filthy Devil?"

Placing Asia down on one of the pews, I drew my swords and turned around to face the D-list villain.

"Hoh? You're going to fight me? Don't be ridiculous. You don't stand a chance. Now, hand the girl over, and I promise that your death will be quick and painless. If not, then..." she snapped her fingers and the group of exorcists that were in the basement came out and surrounded me while the other Fallen Angels that were looking for Asia flew in from the broken windows.. "I'll make sure that you'll scream and beg me for mercy."

Plan B it is then. This was the worst case scenario, but I had no choice now. I doubt I'd be able to outrun all of them with Asia and I didn't have enough smoke bombs to cover my entire escape.

"Alright, I'll play with you," I said while spreading out my arms. "Let's see how you fare against this!"

A moment later, ripples appeared in the air behind me and a countless number swords appeared out of them. This was a technique I ripped off from a person I had to fight against in the past. Unfortunately though, he could actually shoot the weapons towards his opponents while mine are just for show. It did have the effect I wanted though. Everyone, even the Fallen Angels looked apprehensive to approach me. They were all eyeing the weapons that were behind me wearily.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, I dashed forward with my swords raised and cut down one of the exorcists. D-list indeed. I continued forward with my momentum slashed through them one by one until only two on them remained. There was nothing graceful about my actions. Every swing of my sword was crude and unpracticed. This is how I fight. Not with skill, not with strength, not with speed, but with my mind. The last two seemed to have finally registered that their comrades just got killed. They jumped at me with their light swords raised in the air. I parried both of them to the side before driving my blades through their necks. I swear. If I didn't have Boosted Gear, I'd be having a lot more trouble with these guys.

My senses screamed at me to jump away as a multitude of light spears embedded themselves at the spot where I once was. All that was left were the Fallen Angels and Freed who had now recovered from my earlier attack, and he looked pissed.

I mentally gulped. Taking on five enemies together in a confined space like this would be tough. Especially with all of them having ranged attacks and four of them being able to fly.

"Promotion. Knight!"

'Yuuma' looked at me surprised.

"Promotion? A Pawn?"

With my added speed, I attached a pair of grenades to my short swords, pulled the pins and sent them flying towards the group of Fallen Angels. They scattered to the side as they saw the jerry-rigged weapons soaring through the air towards them. The explosion managed to catch parts of them, but they mostly got away unharmed. In the mean time, I had drawn two more swords and had engaged Freed.

Even with the Knight's speed bonus and my boosts, the exorcist still managed to keep up with me. Blow for blow, we traded attacks for a short moment before I put some distance between us again. Just in time as well. The Fallen Angels had recovered and started throwing light spears towards me.

I was forced to roll and dive out of the way while they continued to pelt me with projectiles. One of the spears scraped by my side, causing me to stumble during one of my dodges. The results were devastating as multiple light spears and bullets pierced through my body.

Right arm.

Left leg.

Upper chest.

Lower right stomach.

Left shoulder.

No good.

I fell to the ground, paralyzed with pain.

Looks like...

I really might die here...

No...

Not yet...

Not until Asia is safe.

I won't fail.

This time, there is no second or third chance.

I made a promise.

And I always keep my promises.

"Release..." I croaked out.

The pain faded away slightly, as I felt myself change.

First, my ears.

A pair of furry pointed ears grew out of the top of my head while my human ones disappeared.

Next, a bushy tail pushed its way out from underneath my skirt.

Finally, my teeth became slightly sharper and my fangs elongated.

The form that I had been ridiculed for having during my first journey.

A half-beast.

A child born between a human and a beastman.

Even though I was many different races during that journey, I decided to stay with this body. Despite all the odds being against me, I persevered and managed to succeed. It was a symbol of sorts to me. It was supposed to be a reminder of my experiences. A reminder of the precious friends who accepted me despite for what I was.

I was bleeding badly all over and the light spears embedded in me still burned like hell.

It was getting hard to breath, so I took off the mask and threw it to the side.

"Oh? So its you," 'Yuuma' remarked as she saw my face. "It looks like you're not just a filthy Devil, but you're also some sort of half-breed. Well, it doesn't matter. You'll be dead soon, and I'll get to finish to ritual."

I didn't respond. No use in wasting the little energy I had left.

Grabbing the light spears stuck in my body, I began to wrench them out individually.

"What? What the hell is this chick doing?" One of the other Fallen Angels spoke up this time. She was short and had blonde hair tied up into two messy pigtails.

"Impossible. She shouldn't even be able to move at this point," the man, Dohnaseek, said incredulously.

The Fallen Angel with long blue hair scoffed. "So? What can she even do? She'll be dead in a few seconds with those wounds, so just get the nun and let's get this over with."

"Saya!

During the time I was pulling the spears out of my body, it seemed that Asia had gotten up and made her way towards me. She was staring at the holes in my body with a horrified look on her face.

Trying to smile, I moved to pat her head to reassure her, but I realized that I was almost completely covered in my own blood. I stopped my hand, and retracted it. Even though it didn't matter, for some reason I really did not want to dirty her. Maybe, I just don't want to ruin her purity or something like that.

"I promised... to protect you... so... don't worry..." I barely managed to wheeze out.

Even with my wolf blood uninhibited, I could still barely stand. Not that that's ever stopped me before.

Taking a look at my body, I checked it for any remaining items I had left. A plan started to formulate in my mind.

If I want to be able to move again, I'll have to use that... but it's the only one I have left.

I took a deep breath and resolved myself. If I were to die now, Buchou and the others would be sad. I don't want that to happen, not when I just managed to get to know them.

"Alright. Let's do this."

Reaching my arm out to the side, a ripple appeared in the air and a small bottle containing a pink liquid in it fell into my hand. I uncorked it and downed to contents. My wounds instantly began hissing and started heal. With it, the pain also started to fade away, although a phantom ache still existed. This was an elixir that can even bring people on the brink of death back to full life. Unfortunately, I had used too many of them on my previous journeys so I didn't have any more

With my wounds fully healed, and my stamina fully restored, I readied myself with my remaining weapons.

"That... How? What was that?!"

Heh. The stunned look on their faces was priceless.

Not wasting another second, I threw a smoke bomb down at my feet and my last one below the Fallen Angels.

'Yuuma' snorted. "This trick again? Do you really think this would work a second time?"

Technically, its a different tactic so it'd be the first time.

The smokescreen had entirely enveloped my body now. I was working frantically in order to finish my newest weapon. It had the same concept as before with the swords and the grenades, but this time, I had added the caltrops to the set and layered the sword in oil. Meanwhile, light spears and bullets were flying all around me. A few of them managed to scratch me, but there were no serious wounds.

No.

Scratch that.

A spear just shot through my shin.

Almost there...

A bullet passed through my shoulder.

Deja vu, huh?

Just as I applied the finishing touches to the weapon, another spear came flying towards me and struck me in the arm causing me to lose my grip on the sword. It was then sent clattering and skidding just out of my reach outside the smoke.

Dammit! Not now!

The Fallen Angels seemed to have pinpointed my exact location now.

I was once again turned into a pincushion as a multitude of light spears and bullets pierced through me.

Damn...

I coughed out blood.

A lung this time...

So close...

The world was slowly starting to fade as my vision blurred.

The floor was steadily getting closer and closer.

Time almost slowed to a stop now.

Looks like I'm really gonna die, this time.

I'm sorry, Asia. I couldn't keep my promise in the end.

Buchou. I'm sorry for doing this. I hope you won't hold it against me. You understand why I did this... right?

Ddraig...

 **[THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU DUMBASS?!]**

The roar that resounded in my head jolted my mind awake.

 **[Are you just going to give up now?! You're the partner of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig! Don't sully my reputation by being done in by these weaklings! Stand! And keep fighting until your very last breath! Fight until your entire body is destroyed!]**

An image flashed across my mind. A girl was breathing raggedly, covered head to toe in wounds with a triumphant look on her face. A fairy was happily fluttering beside her, and a massive body made up of what looked like a galaxy lay in front of them. They smiled at each other. The girl looked like she was ready to collapse any second now. It made sense. She had traveled a massive distance on foot with no rest for a little over a month, all the while fighting off monsters. The moment was short lived, though, as a second later, the body of the giant exploded and sent the girl flying away. In its place was a snake that radiated the light of the sun itself. The snake reared back its body and roared. The girl was still lying on the ground, seemingly dead while the fairy kept shouting things at her.

 _"Get up! You can't die yet! We've almost reached the goal! If you die now, then everything you did would mean nothing! Please, get up and keep fighting!"_

The girl slowly but steadily stood up, albeit with trembling legs. Her entire body was wracked with pain and she wanted nothing more than to rest, but she knew she couldn't. Not when the world was still in danger. With her broken body, the girl stood defiantly in front of the god-like being. The fire in her heart rivaled the intensity of the light the beast was giving off as memories of people she had never met before began flashing through her mind. Even though she didn't know any of them, it felt like she held an unbreakable bond with each and every one of them. Those thoughts gave her the strength to keep standing and to keep fighting. She would fight, and she would win.

That's right...

Not yet...

Not when I've come this far.

Not when I still have a promise to keep.

Not when I've fought against a god and won.

How pathetic am I?

What the hell happened to me to make me like this?

The old me would've never given up, no matter the odds.

"Thank you, Ddraig."

The dragon hummed in response.

Time began flowing normally again as I caught myself from face planting on the ground. I didn't know what I looked like right now. Probably like a zombie or something, but I didn't care. All that mattered was to keep Asia safe, and if these guys are alive, then she won't be safe.

I glared up at my hovering enemies and let loose a feral grin, making sure they got a good, long look at my incisors.

 **[EXPLOSION]**

With this last boost in strength, I took out the grappling hook and threw the hook end at the sword on the ground, effectively catching the handle. I pulled back on the rope, swung it around my head with the hook simultaneously pulling out the pin of the grenade, and sent the whole thing flying towards the Fallen Angels hovering in the air.

Grabbing Asia, I dived onto the ground behind a pew with me on top of her in order to make sure she doesn't get hit by the shrapnel.

A moment later, a larger explosion rang out through the abandoned church with multiple screams pain accompanying it.

Good. It worked.

 **[RESET]**

I breathed a sigh of relief.

It was over.

I rolled off of Asia onto my back.

I did it. I won. Asia was safe now, and I managed to keep my promise.

 **[Partner! Look out!]**

At Ddraig's sudden warning, I barely managed to scramble to the side when a light spear came crashing down on top of me.

"You..."

I looked up and saw 'Yuuma' hovering above me.

The poison in the caltrops should've paralyzed her. How was she still moving?

At a closer look, I could see that there wasn't a single scratch on her.

Don't tell me...

Did she use her comrades as shields? As expected from a generic bad guy. No sense of loyalty to their friends at all. I don't care what her reason for doing this was, but to treat the people you fight alongside with as nothing more than tools is disgusting.

I slowly staggered to my feet while drawing a weapon out of my Vault. It didn't matter what it was. I just needed something.

The Fallen Angel sneered. "I'll have to say. I'm impressed. That last trick you pulled was kind of good, but unfortunately, it's not enough. Its fitting for a Devil to fight so crudely."

'Yuuma' took out something from behind her back.

A keychain. Specifically the one I got for her on our 'date'.

"Do you remember this? You gave me this and got a matching one for yourself. To be honest, your taste in this stuff isn't bad." She threw the keychain down and incinerated it with a light spear. "Too bad that it was you who got it for me. If it was Kokabiel then I would've gladly accepted it!"

I said nothing in response. Mostly because I didn't care. If she was trying to torment me, she was doing a pretty bad job at doing so. For now, I just need to buy some time.

As 'Yuuma' continued on with her ridiculing, I slowly started to focus my strength by meditating.

Without Boosted Gear, I almost had no chance to win this with my current abilities, considering I barely had the strength to keep standing. Even the light weight of the weapon in my hand made my arm shake. The world was swimming endlessly around me.

But...

As long as there's a chance.

I won't stop fighting.

Until my entire being is shattered.

I won't give up. That's what the old me would've done. Even though the differences in our strengths were so vast, she was still me. I don't know when I lost sight of my fire, but now that it's been relit, I won't give up anymore. Never again.

Opening my eyes, I held out the weapon, a dagger, in front of me, and flipped it into a reverse grip.

One attack.

One chance.

Everything lies in this last gamble.

If I miss this, then its game over.

My legs were shaking uncontrollably from the overexertion.

Please.

Don't fail me now!

With the last vestiges of my strength, I jumped and tackled 'Yuuma' out of the air, catching her by surprise.

We fell towards the ground as I plunged the dagger towards the Fallen Angel's throat.

She grabbed my arms just as the tip of the blade made contact with her skin.

Too late.

I've already won.

We struggled against each other for a brief moment in the air until the both of us slammed into the ground. The dagger 'Yuuma' was so desperately trying to wrest away from herself sank slowly into her neck. The gravity with my added weight had managed to finish it.

I watched as the raven haired Fallen choked and drowned in her own blood as she flailed wildly. Before long, her movements slowed and her eyes clouded over. Giving the dagger one last push, I made sure that she was dead.

It's over.

The poison should keep the others locked up for a few hours, if they're not already dead from the explosion. By the time they regain control of their bodies, we should already be gone.

Asia should finally be safe now.

I couldn't move anymore no matter how hard I tried. My whole body felt numb, and even the wounds weren't hurting anymore. This was definitely a new feeling.

A familiar mop of golden hair entered my vision.

Asia?

I looked down at my body to see what she was doing. A green light was enveloping her hands and my wounds. Her face was scrunched up in concentration with a worried frown set on her lips. The way she was framed by the chandelier hanging from the ceiling almost made her look like an angel.

Truly, this girl was an angel.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I let the darkness consume my vision.

* * *

"What..?"

I blinked a few times and pinched myself to make sure that I wasn't dreaming or anything.

"I'm sorry, but... what did you just say?" I asked, hoping that I heard wrong.

Buchou smiled and placed a hand on the shoulder of a blonde nun.

"Asia here is a Devil now, and she'll be coming here to Kuoh as a first year."

What...

Trying to keep my voice calm, I hesitantly asked, "You didn't force her to become one or anything, right, Buchou?"

My senior opened her mouth to speak, but Asia cut her off.

"No! Not at all! I wanted to become one of my own free will."

I stared incredulously at the girl. That didn't make any sense. She was a nun, a person of the church. Not to mention she had an almost unshakable faith to the big man upstairs. To become a Devil would be ridiculous unless

"But... Why would you want to do that? Didn't the church teach you that Devils are bad?"

Asia seemed to grow nervous as she tried to say something, but immediately clamped her mouth shut and blushed.

Sighing in resignation, I gave a defeated smile.

"Well, it's already done so no matter what I say, things won't change, huh?"

I was already exhausted from Buchou's lecture and then punishment. In fact, my body was still aching from the stuff she did to me. She honestly acted more like a mother than anything else.

Asia had managed to heal my wounds overnight so Buchou had no reason to hold back I guess. Still though, magically enhanced spanks? Who does that? It would've made more sense if she just made me prostrate myself for a couple of hours.

Thinking back on the events of last night, I still can't believe that the fight only lasted about half an hour. It felt like a lot longer than that.

Apparently, the ORC realized something was wrong when I didn't answer any of their calls or texts so they sent out their familiars to look for me. That was when Akeno suggested that I might have headed towards the church in order to save Asia. When they arrived, the fight had already ended. The other Fallen Angels were still paralyzed so Buchou just finished them off.

The problem was that I had to explain why I had a pair of wolf ears and a tail attached to me and how I managed to launch a successful rescue mission against a group of Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists by myself. Lying got me nowhere so I just told Buchou that I wasn't quite ready to explain anything yet, and she respected that. She just told me that I could explain everything whenever I felt ready.

That reminds me, I'll have to wear a hat everywhere I go now. I could just pass off the ears as a headband, but I don't want the male (and female) students to start getting even stranger fantasies. The last thing I need is a rumor that I was a wolf that has devoured the hearts and bodies of countless maidens and is always on the prowl for more. Nope. I already had enough of that in one of my previous lives.

The door to the club room opened and the 'Prince' walked in.

"Good morning, everyone," Yuumi greeted with her usual radiant smile.

Koneko followed shortly after her with her own greeting. "Morning."

She looked a bit wary of me, as if she was eyeing a predator. Guess she's a cat type then. I flashed her a warm smile to reassure her that I wouldn't try to chase her around or anything.

"Good morning, Buchou, Saya, Asia," Akeno said as she closed the door behind her after entering.

Akeno made her way towards me with a predatory grin.

Too close!

The Queen leaned in close to my ear. "Those cries earlier were quite delicious," she whispered seductively while licking her lips. "I hope you'll let me punish you as well later. Buchou wasn't the only one worried about you."

Eh?

It took me a moment to process what she meant by that.

My face immediately heated up when I finally did and I instinctively backed away while covering my rear.

I tried to respond but my stupid vocal cords decided to stop functioning at that moment. Meanwhile, Ddraig was roaring with laughter again. If he ever manifests as himself in the real world then I am definitely going to strangle him to death.

Akeno covered her mouth with her hand giggled.

Yeah. I hope you're proud of that. Grumbling, I huffed and folded my arms over my chest. It was annoying how easily she could do that to me.

"Alright," Buchou clapped her hands, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Since everyone is here now. To celebrate Asia joining us, I decided to do something special."

The red-head snapped her fingers and a massive cake appeared on the table in the center of the room with all the necessary utensils and plates.

Cake. It looked so good, too. In fact, it looked like a cake you could probably get from a legendary baker for a couple hundred thousand dollars. That was how amazing it looked.

Ok. That might be a bit of an exageration, but can you blame me? Cakes were like, the best things ever created in the universe!

I completely recovered from my earlier embarrassment at the sight of the delicious looking dessert in front of us.

"Did you make this yourself, Buchou?" I asked.

The person in question turned her head to the side with a shy expression.

"Um... Yes. I did," she replied with a red tint coloring her cheeks.

I see. Who knew Buchou could bake this well?

But...

Wait.

"Buchou..." I called out to her.

She turned to me while holding a plate with large slice of heaven on it.

"Yes? What is it Saya?"

Ah... I want it!

But no!

I violently shook my head and wiped my mouth of the saliva that was involuntarily leaking out.

Not yet!

I mustn't be swayed.

With a steeled determination, I took a deep breath and asked the question that could determine the future of the entire world. "Why didn't I get any cake when I first joined?"

"Eh?"

It looked like she didn't expect that. It was her turn to be at a loss of words as she struggled to come up with an excuse.

When Buchou finally managed to compose herself, instead of responding verbally, she shoved a piece of the cake into my mouth.

I instantly melted once the cake hit my taste buds.

What was I just thinking about?

Oh whatever.

Sinking down into the couch, I let Buchou continue to feed me cake and lost myself in the bliss.

That is, until I noticed that the sweet, sugary heaven stopped appearing in my mouth.

I looked at Buchou who was sitting next to me. She had a distant expression on her face as she was looking out the window.

That was a look of someone who had a lot on their mind, and it was usually bad things."What's wrong?"

Buchou jumped and turned around at the sound of my voice. She put on a forced smile and shook her head.

"It's nothing, Saya. Just thinking is all."

Right. Nothing. Even though I've only known you for a few weeks, I know enough to see when something's wrong.

Is what I wanted to say, but I decided to let it be for now. If it does turn out to be a problem, then I'll just deal with it when the time comes. That's how I've always dealt with unfavorable situations after all.

Ignoring Ddraig's comments about how I was being lazy again, I continued helping myself to Buchou's handmade cake.

This was too good. I really need Buchou to make me something every week.

* * *

-Stat Sheet-

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (E)

 **Endurance:** D+ (D-)

 **Agility:** B (E+)

 **Magic:** E- (N/A)

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (N/A) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (N/A) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Aestus Estus, Excalibur Morgan etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX (N/A) - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX (N/A) - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX (N/A) - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX (N/A) - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX (N/A) - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX (N/A) - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Note:** Skills will be unlocked not based on training, but on Saya's motivations and emotions during battle. The unlock conditions on abilities vary.


	7. A Phenex's Ashes 1

**AN:** Sorry about another huge break in between updates. Well, the first batch of midterms are almost over so the updates will hopefully not take as long anymore until the second batch and until finals.

 **Disclaimer:** Blah blah blah legal stuffs

* * *

I stood on top of a cliff overlooking a vast, open sea. The water sparkled beautifully, as if it was a mass of sapphires. Looking up, the sky above was unbelievably pretty as well. Clouds were slowly puffing their way across the endless horizon. It was all so much like a painting. There could be no way something this beautiful exists, and yet, it did, it does, and it will. The sound of rustling grass coming from behind me caught my attention. When I turned around, I was greeted by the sight of my original companions. Dosey barked happily while wagging her tail, Frieda and Mila both gave me a gentle smile, Sara had a passive look on her face, Victor had a somewhat unreadable expression, Galtz and Albert both nodded at me in acknowledgement, while Panty had a wide grin plastered on, and finally, Iris. I didn't need to look to know that she was fluttering beside me. She was always there to help me, no matter what happened.

I missed them, but it would be for the best if I never went back. If I did, it would only cause problems for them, and for me. There was no point. My existence in that world, my purpose, was fulfilled.

The sight in front of me fizzled out like static on an old TV, and was replaced by the members of the ORC. Eventually, I would have to leave them as well. Once I had fulfilled my purpose, there would be no more point in me staying here. Of course, erasing my existence from the world includes any and every trace of it. Including memories. They wouldn't remember, no, they wouldn't even know who or what I was. This is my burden. In the end, I'm only hurting myself by creating bonds with these people, and yet, I can not stop myself either. An endless cycle of torture until I grow insane. That is what this power is. That is why the old man wanted to rid himself of this power. Why he led me to him so I could kill him.

This power really was stupid, and worthless. Eventually, I'll do as the old man did and select another person to take this curse so I could rest in peace. This cycle will undoubtedly keep repeating until the end of time.

But...

I won't let that happen. I won't subject anyone else to this torture. This burden will be mine to bear for an eternity, so nobody else will have to go through what I did. That is my resolve, my will, and my wish. The bonds I've forged in my journeys will always remain in my heart no matter the distance, and no matter the time. My friends may not be physically beside me anymore, but their souls are.

The environment changed once again to a black abyss, and in front of me lay the form of a massive red dragon.

"Ddraig," I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

"It looks like you've regained your lost fire, huh?" The dragon rumbled.

"That's right, and I have you to thank for that."

Ddraig snorted as he waved a claw dismissively in the air. "I didn't do anything, kid. You realized that by yourself."

"And I wouldn't have if you didn't give me that push."

"No. You would've done so even without me. My push just helped speed up the process."

"Still, thank you."

"Don't mention it. We're partners in crime after all. By the way, you should probably wake up now if you don't wanna get chewed out by the princess."

That's right, Buchou said she'd start training me today. She also said that she'd be here at four.

Wait...

I forgot to set the alarm!

* * *

In the end, I woke up just in time for the early morning training. I had tied my hair up in a messy ponytail and was currently jogging next to Buchou on her bike. What's with this? The least she could do is run with me. Shouldn't she be training her body as well?

"Come on!" She called out. "If you don't manage to keep within five meters of me for the entire run there'll be a punishment waiting for you later on!"

Hearing the word punishment shocked me into action as I raced after Buchou who had already taken off ahead.

After a while of running, and trying to chase after Buchou going full speed on her bike, it was time for strength training which included me doing one hundred push-ups while Buchou sat on me. Not saying she's heavy or anything, but I was having a really hard time even doing fifty. My physique is hardly suited for power, you know. I'm a fragile young maiden that must be treated with care.

"Keep going! You've only done sixty of them! If you don't get to a hundred in one minute, I'll add another hundred to it for you to do!"

At least she isn't as harsh a trainer as Big Boss was. Whoever thought that going around base beating up your own soldiers would be counted as training?

With the last of the push-ups done, I collapsed to the ground with Buchou still on top of me. I didn't care. My arms felt like they were falling off...

"Good work. Not a bad outcome for the first day."

"Thank you," I wheezed. "Can you please get off of me now, Buchou?"

It was already hard enough to breath, and with her added weight on top of me it only made it harder.

"It's rather comfortable up here so I think I'll stay for now. Besides, she should be here soon."

Huh? Somebody else is coming?

"Who should be here?"

Before Buchou has a chance to answer, I see Asia running up the road towards us with a couple of thermoses in her hand.

"Buchou! Saya! Sorry I'm late!" the blonde nun called out to us before promptly tripping and falling flat on her face.

That was extremely cringe worthy. Tripping on absolutely nothing was probably one of the most embarrassing things that could ever happen to somebody. Right next to getting your skirt caught on something and having it rip off in public. Not that it ever happened to me before or anything. Nope! Definitely not!

The nun got up while gingerly nursing her forehead. Meanwhile, Buchou got off of me and walked over to Asia to help her up. Wow. What a smooth operator. Keep this up and Asia might just fall for you. Least you could do is help me up as well.

As I got up and dusted myself off, I directed a pout in Buchou's direction.

"Is this how you treat your servants? You toy with them all you want, and when a new one comes along, you immediately go off and play with them instead? You should take responsibility for your actions you know."

Obviously, it was supposed to be a lighthearted joke, but Buchou somehow took that the wrong way. She immediately stiffened up and got a distant look in her gaze like the one she had the other day during Asia's welcoming party. Asia, on the other hand, seemed to take that extremely wrong if her beet red face and panicked stuttering were of any indication. No idea what she's thinking about, but there's absolutely no way that it's pure. Did becoming a Devil alter her thought process somehow? Taking a thermos and pouring some water for myself, I leave Asia to her fantasies.

"Um... Buchou?" I call out to her to get her attention. "I wasn't actually being serious."

The redhead just continued to stare into nothing. Did I actually offend her somehow? No. She was like this yesterday too. What in the world is bothering her so much that she just spaces out like this?

I walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder before leaning in close to her face.

"Buchou. What's wrong?"

That seemed to work as she jolted at the proximity of my voice.

"O-Oh. Yes? What is it?" She tried to sound composed and like how she usually was, but it failed horribly. Something was definitely going on. I'm actually kind of getting worried now.

"You're spacing out again. Is there something bothering you?"

Buchou shook her head and forced a smile.

"Everything's fine," she said before standing up. "Now, let's go. The luggage should have arrived by now."

Avoiding the question? This was definitely not good. Could this be related to the crisis I came here for? Considering what she told me about the political tension between the three factions, the most obvious conclusion would be that an all out war would break out. I bit my lip. Wars weren't really my thing, but if it does come to that then I'll have no choice. I thanked Asia for her help before taking her hand and following Buchou. I will find out what she's thinking about. I just hope it isn't as bad as I think it is.

* * *

This is...

In front of my house lay a massive cardboard box that was almost two times my height. Why is this here? No. Who in the world has this much luggage to bring with them?! This is completely insane. How did anyone even get this here? Unless... I guess magic would work. But still...

I glanced at Buchou with a questioning look.

She smiled and placed a hand on her hips before saying, "This here is all of Asia's luggage. From today on, she'll be staying here."

I looked at Asia, but it seemed like she was just as confused as me. Seems like Buchou's just doing whatever she wants again.

"Well, that's fine, but why me?"

"Why not? Asia's taken a liking to you after all."

The nun's face turned red and she started to frantically gesture around with her hands.

"B-Buchou! You promised that you wouldn't tell her!" she cried.

"Anyways, go ahead and move that in," Buchou ordered. "I'll deal with explaining to your parents."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion and asked, "Are you sure you can handle that? I don't want you feeding false information to them."

"Don't worry. I know just how to deal with them."

Still a bit skeptical, I decided to just trust Buchou on this one and started dragging the massive box into the house and upstairs into an empty room. Once that was done, I made my way back downstairs to check on how Buchou was doing with explaining to mom and dad why Asia had to stay here. Honestly, she shouldn't have too much trouble. They're nice people after all. What I'm worried about is how she's going about doing it. Just as I'm about to walk into the dining room, I hear Asia's voice drift out.

"Um... I-I'll be in your care then, mother, father."

Oh no. Buchou, what have you done.

I quickly dash into the dining room to prevent any more damage from being done, but I was already too late. There they were, my dear parents, well this world's parents, were blubbering like fools about how their precious daughter managed to find herself such a sweet girl.

"Buchou... You better explain what you told them or I'll-"

When I turned my attention to Buchou, I noticed that she was staring off into space again.

"Ddraig, what do you think she's thinking about?"

 **[Look, partner. I might be an incredibly smart and powerful ancient dragon, but the one thing I cant do is read minds. If I had to guess, though. It's probably something that has to do with her personal life. That's why she's not telling anyone about it. The only person who might know what's going on with her is probably Akeno.]**

 _"Right. Akeno is the closest to her."_

I made a mental note to ask her later, in the meantime, I tried to diffuse the situation with my parents and Asia who were already making plans for marriage. Never thought I'd ever have to do something like this.

* * *

It's been a couple of days since then and Asia has managed to adjust fairly well to living here and going to school. Currently, we were making our way around town delivering flyers as part of Asia's Devil training. Guess all the newly reincarnated Devils really do have to do this, huh? It's annoying, but it also makes a bit of sense. After all, becoming a Devil does increase one's physical traits and such.

"Um... Saya? Sorry for having you help me out with doing this."

"Don't worry about it. We're friends so you can rely on me all you want."

After hearing those words, Asia's previously uncomfortable expression burst into a bright, sunny smile.

"Heehee," she giggled. "Everyone's been so nice to me, and school has been very fun too. This is everything I've ever dreamed of!"

I pat her head and ruffle her hair a bit.

"I'm glad to hear that. To be honest, I was kind of worried that you wouldn't fit in at first."

"Some of my friends actually invited me to go out with them on the weekend even!"

Thank goodness that she managed to acclimate so well. Although, it still kind of does worry me that Motohama and Matsuda might get their grubby hands on her. Even as a Devil, her purity doesn't seem to have been tainted too much just yet and I plan to keep it that way for as long as I can.

"Alright." I say with a clap of my hands. "That's the last of them. Let's head back now."

Taking Asia's hand, we started walking back to the school. Considering how much I don't trust myself in commandeering a vehicle of any sort, riding a bicycle with a passenger is even less likely to happen.

Once we got back to the club room, I called Akeno outside so we could have a talk in private. Although... she and everyone else seemed to have gotten the wrong idea about why I wanted to talk to her.

"Ara, ara, Saya. How bold, asking me to go out with you in front of everyone else." Akeno giggled and smiled teasingly at me.

"Illicit sexual relationships are forbidden..." Koneko deadpanned while forming an 'X' with her arms.

Meanwhile, Yumi just grinned and shot me a thumbs up.

My eye twitched. Why... Why do they all gang up on me like this?

"Akeno. I really need to talk to you about something. It's important."

The previous teasing smile she had on was replaced by a more serious one once she heard the tone of my voice. Akeno nodded and followed me outside of the room and around a corner.

"Well," she said. "What did you want to talk about?"

I took a short glance around us to check that nobody followed us out. No doubt that Yumi and Koneko both noticed that something was wrong with Buchou, but I just wanted to keep this to myself for now.

"Do you know why Buchou has been acting strangely recently?" I asked in a hushed voice.

Akeno's seemingly perpetual smile disappeared for a slight moment before caught herself and put one back on. Albeit, it looked slightly forced.

"Ara... Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't try to play dumb with me. I know that Yumi and Koneko have probably already noticed by now as well, and considering how you're the person Buchou trusts the most in this peerage, you probably know something about it."

The Queen appeared to be taken aback by my response. She paused for a moment as she gained a contemplative look on her face. Eventually she shook her head and sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I think it would be best if Buchou told you herself."

Without another word, Akeno turned and started making her way back to the club room.

"Akeno!" I call out to get her attention. It seemed to have worked as the girl stopped, but she didn't turn around.

I took her silence as an invitation to continue. "I know I may not be the most trustworthy person right now. I promised that I would tell everyone about what I really am eventually, but for now, please believe me when I say that I only wish for the best for all of you. Just tell Buchou that I can and I will help her whenever she needs it. The same goes for everyone else."

There was no response, but Akeno seemed to take my words to heart as she walked back to the club room. I didn't follow her, though, since I was feeling slightly tired from the exchange. Sighing, I decided to wander about the school for a bit before heading home. Before leaving, I sent Asia a text saying that I was heading home early and that she didn't have to worry about me. To be honest I was feeling slightly worried about her going home alone in the dark, but I just wanted to take some time for myself for now.

* * *

I went straight to my room and flopped down on my bed once I got home. My mind raced as I tried to think of ideas of why Buchou might be troubled. Could it be that a member of her family had passed away? If that was the case, then I couldn't really do much more than offer her my support. Maybe the person she was in love in was stolen away from her. For some reason, that idea didn't quite sit well with me. Maybe... her family was in huge debt so they had to sell her to some corrupt politician in order to pay off that debt?

 **[Now that's just stupid. You're overthinking things. I'm sure that its just some trivial thing like she lost her favorite pair of socks or something.]**

 _"Would she really be thinking about it so much if it was just that, Ddraig?"_

 **[Hey, it was just an example. I'm not saying that's what actually happened. There are way too many scenarios to account for so you're just wasting your time trying to come up with one.]**

 _"I can't exactly help but worry, though. That's just how I am. You can't change tha-"_

My conversation with Ddraig was cut off as a familiar magic circle formed on the floor in the center of my room. I guess that's how Asia's getting back. Buchou and the others probably had the same worries as me.

"Hey Aisa, welcome ba-"

I cut myself off again as I managed to get a good look at the person that appeared in the circle.

"Buchou?"

Why did she come here? And through teleportation for that matter. She usually just went up to the front door.

"Saya..." she breathed as she started stalking towards me. "Please, take me."

Take her? Take her where? What?

It took a moment for me to process what she just said.

Don't tell me...

What she did and said next dissuaded any doubts I had about what that phrase meant.

Not stopping, Buchou began stripping her clothes off, one by one. Starting with her blouse, and then her skirt until she was just in her lacy black lingerie."Please, have sex with me. Take my virginity."

...

What?

That's... sudden.

"Buchou... what are you-?"

The half-naked girl that has now pinned me to the bed pressed a finger to my lips and cut me off. "I need you to do this."

"But... this is kind of sudden isn't it? And why me? I mean... we're both girls aren't we?"

"Yes, but I've heard that you have a lot of experience in this."

Who... Who in the world told her that? I've never laid a hand on anyone in this world yet. Then again... that is somewhat true... Now that I think about it, I really had quite a few relationships in the past. But that's not the point right now. I have to stop Buchou before she does something she'll regret.

"Saya..? Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Sorry Buchou, but I can't."

"Why? Am I not good enough?"

I shook my head. "No. That's not it."

"Then what is it? You told Akeno that we could always count on you to help us. That's why I need your help right now."

"Look... it's just..." Pausing and taking a deep breath, I gathered my thoughts before speaking again. "I don't know who told you that I'm experienced, but I am most definitely not. Besides, your first time isn't something you just recklessly throw away because you need to for something."

Buchou opened her mouth to try to refute me, but I clamped her mouth shut with my hand.

"I'm not done yet. I know you may not trust me too much right now, considering what happened the other night, but you can definitely trust me to help you. That's why, whatever is happening to you right now, no matter what it it is, I'll be sure to do everything in my power to make sure that you aren't hurt. It's not that I like you or anything like that, though. It's just that I have my own reasons for doing it. Besides, the Buchou I know is prideful and wouldn't give up so easily. The fact that you had to resort to giving away your chastity just shows that you've tried everything you could by yourself. That's why, I'll break whatever barrier it is that's stopping you and show you that whatever seems impossible can become possible."

A break. A pause. Silence. Not surprising, considering how long that rant was. Did she actually listen to me? Once the moment passed, Buchou's emerald eyes teared up and she threw her entire body weight onto me. Her face was only a few inches from touching mine and I could feel her hot breath tickling the tip of my nose.

"Um... Buchou..?"

Without warning, she forces her lips onto mine, while simultaneously grabbing both of my wrists and pinning them over my head. This was definitely a kiss from someone inexperienced, and yet it still felt like it held all the passion and love a kiss could have. It took a while for Buchou to break away, but when she did, her face was flushed and was trying to catch her breath. After a short moment, she spoke up.

"That was my first, you know..."

"Yeah..."

"That was yours too, right?"

"Um... Yeah."

Buchou narrowed her eyes pouted as she took note of the slight hesitation in my response.

"So you do have previous experience."

"What?" I settled for shaking my head since my hands were still restrained. "Of course not! Well, technically I do."

"Technically?"

"Yeah. Wait, no, that doesn't matter right now! Why did you kiss me? I thought I made it clear that you should give your firsts to the person you like."

"Isn't that obvious? You're just the person I've always wanted as a partner. That's why, I want you to take me even more now."

My plan backfired...

"Now... Let's get started."

This time, there was seemingly no way to get out of this. Buchou still had my arms pinned above my head and I had completely run out of things to say. Not good. At this rate things really will get out of hand. She was stripping me down now with her free hand. Buchou paused to take in my figure once she had gotten me down to my underwear.

"Oh my..." The look on Buchou's face suggested a slight disappointment from the way she furrowed her brows, and I think I know exactly why.

"Well sorry for being so small and boring."

"No, no, no. It's fine. The plain white bra and panties suit you, and your slim physique is pleasing to look at. Not to mention your skin is incredibly beautiful too."

"Jeez... You sure know how to sweet talk your way into somebody's pants for having no experience."

Buchou leaned in again for another kiss before a light shining from the floor caught our attention. I heard her click her tongue as she gained an annoyed look on her face. At a closer look, the glow came from the Gremory families magic circle.

The figure that was appearing from the circle started speaking in a respectful, yet dignified voice before she (assuming) fully appeared.

"To think that you would really resort to this sort of thing in order to break off the engagement your father and my master so painstakingly prepared."

I feel like I've been getting surprised by a lot of things recently. But, engagement, huh? That makes sense now why she was so desperate to get rid of her chastity. Just how much of an asshole does this guy have to be to make Rias not want to marry him? Then again, I haven't exactly met many girls who like being forced into marriage.

Now that I can fully see the mysterious person who invaded my room, I noticed that she looked a lot like Sakuya. Like, an older, more mature Sakuya. The braided gray hair and the maid outfit with that cold, sharp gaze is almost identical.

Not waiting for any response, the maid continued to speak. "And to do something like this with someone of such low birth is unthinkable."

"That's enough, Grayfia!" Buchou's harsh tone cut through the tense air. "I will give myself to whomever I choose to! Even if you are big brother's Queen, I will not stand for you insulting my precious Pawn.

At the mention of the word Pawn, Grayfia's eyes gained a curious glint. "Pawn? Then this person is Saya Hyoudou, the possessor of the Boosted Gear that you mentioned."

I nodded. "Yes. That's me."

"I see," the maid bowed. "Forgive me for my earlier rudeness. I simply assumed that you were a random human the young mistress chose out of desperation."

"Oh, no. It's completely fine. I've had a lot of people call me much worst in the past."

"Is that so? It seems that the young mistress truly has found herself an intriguing Pawn. She has told us at the main house much about you. Including how you fought and survived against a group of Stray Exorcists and Fallen Angels despite being a newly reincarnated Devil with no past history with the supernatural."

"What can I say? I just got lucky I guess."

"Not only that, but your appearance suggests that you are a Hanyou, and yet you share only the physical appearance. You possess none of the powers the race has."

"Are you suggesting something, Miss Grayfia?"

"Absolutely not, Miss Saya."

The air between us crackled with intensity as we stared each other down. She was without a doubt worried about Buchou's safety, but it irked me about how roundabout she was being about it. Why not just say that I was dangerous? I could feel a slow chill start to crawl up my half-naked body, but I managed to barely stop myself from shivering. Colder and colder. It got to the point where I could nearly see hot puffs of steam escaping from my mouth with every breath.

My tail involuntarily stiffened as the room temperature continued to drop. It was freezing now, but I had held my ground. It felt suffocating, like being buried under a mountain of ice. Suddenly, without warning, the temperature returned back to normal.

"I see that you really are not a normal person. To be able to have resisted my cold for so long is certainly not anything to scoff at."

The tension dissipated as Grayfia gave me a slight bow with the compliment. She was definitely incredibly powerful.

"Ahem." Buchou cleared her throat to get our attention. When I turned to face her, she had fully clothed herself. "If you two are done flirting with each other, I'd like to know what you came here for, Grayfia."

"Of course. I came to take you back to the main house to discuss the marriage details."

"I see. Yes, well, let us go then."

Buchou made her way to stand next to the maid but stopped just short of her.

"But before that," she said as she turned and walked back to me and giving me a quick peck on the lips. With a wink and a giggle, she followed Grayfia into the magic circle and teleported away.

Just in time too, since Asia just walked in.

I waved to her as casually as I could. "Hi, Asia. Welcome back."

"Hawawawa! I'm s-sorry!" The blonde nun cried and covered her face before slamming the door closed. The sound of her footsteps echoed down the hall as she ran away. Except, that was in the opposite direction of the stairs. Not a moment later, I heard a crash at the other end of the hall. Peeking out of my door, I saw a dazed nun rolling around pitifully on the floor while clutching her head. With a sigh, I dressed myself and went to go help the poor girl.

* * *

"Saya, what do you think Buchou wants to talk to us about?" the blonde prince asked as we were making our way towards the ORC club room.

Asia nodded and tilted her head in contemplation. "She really seemed serious about it..."

This was kind of awkward. I knew exactly why, but I wanted Buchou to be the one to tell everyone. Luckily, I was saved when Yumi finally noticed the chilling presence that was emanating from the club room. Even though I've only felt it once, it was enough to ingrain it into my mind for a long time.

"This presence... How did I not detect this earlier?"

I sighed pushed open the door into the the silent room. The air felt dense and heavy. Buchou, Akeno, Koneko, and Grayfia were all waiting in the room already. One would think that with this atmosphere that somebody died or something.

Buchou stood up and faced us as we walked in.

"Good. Looks like everybody's here," she said. She took a deep breath before continuing. "As you all know, I called you all here because I have something I wish to tell everyone. I-"

Before she could continue, a different magic circle from the Gremory's appeared on the floor and started glowing.

Yumi gasped and her eyes widened. "That crest belongs to... the Phenex clan!"

Flames burst out of the circle and the silhouette of a man appeared. A very, cocky looking man. As the flames began dying down, I could make out more and more features of this mysterious visitor who I could only guess was Rias' fiance. Styled, blonde hair, a cocky grin, red suit white shirt with top buttons undone showing his bare chest.

Yep. This guy definitely looked the part of 'spoiled, rich kid fiance. Then again, Buchou isn't much different.

"Rias, my love, I have come to see you."

The man continued walking towards Buchou as he continued speaking.

"Let us go see the wedding hall together," he stated as he wrapped an arm around Buchou's shoulder. "I am positive that you'll adore it."

"Wait, wedding hall?" Yumi whispered to me.

"Yeah. Buchou's probably engaged to him," I answered

Yumi seemed speechless after I revealed that. Even she probably didn't expect Buchou to be hiding such a big thing.

All the while, I watched as Buchou's eyes twitched as she tried to reign her anger and disgust in. It didn't work though since it clearly showed on her face how much she didn't like the guy. Eventually she got way too fed up with how close he was getting and pushed him away.

"Do not get so close to me, Riser."

"Come now, Rias. There's no need to be shy."

Even I was starting to get fed up with how touchy feely this Riser guy was getting. Deciding that I should probably stop this before it gets out of hand, I cleared my throat and strode up to him. I batted my eyes up at him while shyly shuffling my feet. Almost immediately, his attention drew to me and he gained a lecherous look on his face.

"Um... Could you be, Riser Phenex?" I spoke as sweetly as I could.

"Why, yes. I am. May I have the honor of knowing your name as well, little flower?"

Jeez. This guy was a shameless flirt. He's hitting on another girl with his fiance standing right next to him. Speaking of Buchou, I sent her a look telling her not to interfere when I saw her moving to get Riser away from me.

Keepin up the cute, innocent school girl act, I said, "Oh, well, I'm a really big fan of yours! Even though I only recently became a Devil, I've wanted to meet you ever since I've heard of you!"

"My, my," the man brushed a hand through his hair as he flashed me a smile. "How wonderful that I have such a cute, ardent admirer. However, it is to my great regret that I cannot offer you any more than my presence here. For, if I could, I would without a doubt add you to my peerage. Do not fear though, for once Rias marries me, you will be able to see you as much as you wish."

More, and more I started to really get annoyed of this guy. I swear that he loves the sound of his own voice or something.

"Yes, I look forward to it!. And um... If you could... could you maybe listen to my request?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Akeno trying to stifle her giggles. Asia, and Yumi, however, both looked completely clueless as to what I was trying to do here.

"Why, of course. Anything for such a beautiful and young girl."

"Um... Well... c-can you give me a k-kiss..?"

I could see I Riser smirk as he started leaning down towards me. Fighting to keep a straight face on, I waited until his face was close enough before springing into action. I reared back and headbutted him before kneeing him straight in his family jewels.

At this point, Akeno couldn't hold it in any longer, and let out an undignified snort before catching herself and trying to disguise it with a cough. Buchou sighed exasperatedly but still had a smile on her face. Meanwhile, Yumi, Asia, and even Koneko were staring in shock at me for what I just did. Grayfia shook her head, but I could see that the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.

Nice to see that even someone like Grayfia didn't want to put up with this guy. Although, I may have gone a bit too far, seeing as he was foaming at the mouth.

"He's... gonna be okay, right?" I asked to no one in particular.

Yumi facepalmed. "You ask that after you do that to him?"

"Do not worry," I looked at Grayfia who had remained silent the entire time. "The Phenex clan are known for their legendary regenerative abilities that stem from the mythological creature called the Phoenix."

It didn't take long for him to wake up, but it seemed like he didn't remember what just happened. At the very least, I gave Buchou and the others some peace of mind.

"Riser, I have told you time and time again that I will not marry you."

The man in question was now awake and sitting on a couch while Rias tried to argue with him.

"Are you sure you should say that? You know how low the pure-blood Devil population is after the Great War. That's why we've even formed a method where even two females can have offspring together. Not to mention the Seventy-Two Pillar Clans are falling off one by one. Pure-blooded Devils are starting to gain more and more worth as our population dwindles with the newly reincarnated ones rise. You can see how important this marriage is, can't you, Rias?"

Buchou definitely looked troubled. If I remember correctly, Buchou did tell me that something like this was happening. How the war almost completely obliterated the population of pure-blood Devils which is why they introduced the Peerage system to bolster their forces. But Riser's point makes sense. Pure-blood Devils would obviously be vastly more powerful than most reincarnated ones. Old traditions would die out as the pure-bloods lose their standing to the reincarnated.

The argument went on and on in circles with Riser trying to get Buchou to go with him to wherever until when finally he got fed up.

"I will take you and make you mine. Even if I have to destroy all of your servants!"

Everyone tensed up as flames began to surround the Devil.

"Oh?" Buchou tried to hide her worry by squaring up to Riser, but it was clear that she was afraid as well. "I'd like to to see you try that in front of me."

Sighing, I decided to diffuse the situation before it heats up even more.

 **[Partner. Why. Just why.]**

 _"I just wanted to try making a pun."_

"Hey!" I called Riser to get his attention. "How about you cool down a bit you fried chicken!"

I threw the bottle at him. At first, he didn't seem to think much about it, but he dodged to the side once he saw what it really was. Maybe having a label on it saying 'Holy Water' wasn't such a good idea. It did seem to take his attention away from Buchou, though. The problem now was that he was directing his flames at me now.

"Riser Phenex. I would implore for you to calm down, lest you wish for me to act as well."

I shot Grayfia a thankful look as the cold started to eat away at the Phenex's flames. The Devil gulped and immediately receded the rest of his fire.

"Even if I would be terrified if the strongest Queen told me that."

Grayfia bowed her head and turned to Buchou.

"My master and your father predicted this would happen. If you truly do not wish to marry this man, then a Rating Game should be able to settle matters."

Rating Game...

 **[It's that chess thing Devil's do with their Peerage that determines their standing in Devil society.** ]

 _"Right. But only fully matured Devils can participate in them so this must just be an unofficial one. Off the books."_

As I was conversing with Ddraig, Grayfia continued to explain the situation. "Because the young mistress is still underage, this Rating Game will be unofficial."

Buchou picked up the explanation from there. "Those kinds of Rating Games are usually used to settle disputes between families. Unbelievable. Just how much do they plan to mess with my life? Then again, this is my chance."

"Then you accept?"

"Of course," Buchou flipped her hair and huffed. "There's no way I'd miss a chance like this."

"Hoh? Are you sure? I've won plenty of actual Rating Games already. You and your group that you call a Peerage don't stand a chance against my cute servants," Riser scoffed.

Grayfia bowed again at the two's answer. "Very well. I shall relay this information to the two houses."

"Also," Riser began while snapping his fingers. "Since I'm such a nice person. I'll allow you all a little preview of my wonderful and cute Peerage."

Behind him, a large magic circle with the Phenex family crest appeared. A moment later fifteen figures appeared from the circle. All girls too. Of all shapes and sizes and dressed in an assortment of outfits. It's like this place suddenly turned into a cosplay cafe.

Are those...

 **[Lolis in PE uniforms with chainsaws? Yes, partner. They are.]**

 _"And there's a Chinese priestess instead of a Japanese one. Classy."_

 **[Ooohh. But the one with the half-mask is pretty badass, huh?]**

 _"The one with the giant sword too."_

 **[Hey, hey. What about that wannabe Chinese martial artist? The modified qipao isn't half bad.]**

 _"Yeah, but the bun accessories are a bit too boring. How about some originality?"_

 **[And woah, hey. Is that drill girl his younger sister? She looks related to him.]**

 _"They both do have blonde hair and blue eyes don't they?"_

As I was studying the group of girls, Riser suddenly takes the chainsaw twins into his arms and started to french them.

Um... what?

Why is this happening all of a sudden?

 **[Oh yeah. The bird man said something about you staring at his precious trophies so he wanted to show off how great his harem is.]**

Right... he must've thought I was jealous. Looking at Buchou, I could see she was massaging her forehead.

"Hey, Rias. Your servant isn't paying any attention..." Riser said when he noticed I wasn't looking.

"That's because I don't want to see an ugly grilled turkey sticking its dirty face into cute girls' faces." I huffed.

"You..." the cooked bird of some sort gained a comedic tick mark on his head as he grinded his teeth. "For some reason, you especially irk me. It feels like you did something especially horrible to me. So maybe, I should teach you a little lesson in respect."

He raised and hand and motioned for the girl with a Jingu Bang looking stick. "Mira, go for it."

"Yes, sir."

The girl readied her stick and rushed towards me in an instant. To the naked eye, it would've looked like she disappeared, but she was nowhere near how fast Yumi moves. Besides, an attack like that is extremely predictable. I took a step forward with my left foot and turned my body to the right while thrusting my left palm out. A second later, a loud crack rang out through the room and the small body of the girl flew through the air behind me before crashing into the wall. Sticking out my hand, I caught the pole that was twirling back down to the ground.

"Sorry Mr. Pidgeon, but I'm a lot more than just a pretty face."

Riser's eye twitched. "Alright then. Xuelan."

"Right."

This time, the meat buns and qipao girl stepped up and slipped into a kung fu stance. She dashed forward towards me, albeit a lot slower. Must be a Rook or a Pawn. Mira must've been a lower-end Knight or a Pawn. I jumped backwards as a flaming kick was sent towards my face. Attack, attack, attack. The relentless assault continued as I was forced to dodge firey limbs or else risk getting my beautiful hair burnt off. The attacks were slow and projected so it wasn't too much trouble. The problem was the force this girl was using. Each blow sent shockwaves rippling through the air that almost threw me off balance a couple of times. At this point I've already deduced that this Xuelan is probably a Rook with how hard she was hitting. That meant I couldn't exactly disable her without a weapon, and I didn't exactly want to reveal my trump just yet. Alright. Grit your teeth. Brace. Hope you don't die.

As the next punch came, I 'accidentally' lost my footing and the hit grazed the side of my face. Of course, it didn't hurt that much, but the table, sofa, chair, and wall I smashed into did. Very much. After I slid off the wall, I pretended to be unconscious for the moment. Although, I didn't have to pretend much. That last hit really knocked the wind out of me.

"Saya!" Asia cried before rushing to my side.

"Hmph. You managed to take out Mira, but considering how she's my weakest piece, it isn't much of an accomplishment. Although, if you were to get a bit stronger, this Rating Game might actually be interesting," I heard Riser say. "Rias, I'll give you and your Peerage ten days to train."

"You're giving us a handicap?" Buchou sounded skeptical and slightly insulted.

"Rating Games are serious. Despite the name, a Rating Game is not just a mere game. It will take much more than kindness and willpower to win one."

Silence. After a while, Buchou seemed to have reached a conclusion. "Alright. I'll take it."

"Then, ten days from now, we will have our match. I expect that you will not disappoint me, Rias."

With that, the familiar shine of a teleportation circle caught the edge of my vision signaling that Riser had probably left along with his Peerage.

Opening my eyes, I picked myself back up as Asia was trying to heal me. I pat her head and smiled to show that I was completely fine.

"Saya," Buchou turned to me with a worried frown. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine," I answered. Well, as fine as I can be. In fact, I'm feeling pretty good now. The familiar rush of excitement that filled my blood whenever I went on an adventure was back. This will be a challenge I will not back down from.

"Buchou, we just have to win this Rating Game and the marriage will be called off. Right?"

"That's right."

"Good. That shouldn't be a problem then."

Filled with determination, I resolved myself to protect the honor and wishes of the one that took me under her wings.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (E+)

 **Endurance:** D+ (D-)

 **Agility:** B (D)

 **Magic:** E- (N/A)

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent [Unusable], Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Gae Dearg [Unusable], Gae Buidhe [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragment (Killing Stone) [Unusable], Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword [Unusable], Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (N/A) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (N/A) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX (N/A) - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX (N/A) - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX (N/A) - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX (N/A) - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX (N/A) - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX (N/A) - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX (N/A) - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Note:** Skills will be unlocked not based on training, but on Saya's motivations and emotions during battle. The unlock conditions on abilities vary.


	8. A Phenex's Ashes 2

**AN:** I had a bit of an internal struggle trying to figure out what I should do with the Rating Game, and in the end, this is what I came up with. Also, I wanted to try to finish the whole Riser arc with this chapter but it kind of drew on for too long so I cut it short at a cliffhanger. To those that care, I have not abandoned my Kancolle fanfic. I'm just currently pressed for ideas.

 **Disclaimer:** SSDD

* * *

"Okay Asia, close your eyes."

"Mm… Saya. A-a bit gentler please."

"Ah, sorry. Here, is that better?"

"Yes, it feels great. Thank you."

"Your skin is really smooth and pretty, you know. It's like porcelain."

"Eh? Um… th-thank you…"

"Alright, hold your breath now."

"Okay."

After making sure her eyes and mouth were closed, I took the shower nozzle off the hook and started washing the shampoo off of her hair. How is her hair so silky? She said that she never had to take care of it before. This is so unfair.

"Done," I said as I rinsed her hair one more time.

"Thank you. So this is the skinship Japan has."

"Skinship?"

"Yes," Asia nodded cutely. "I heard that people in Japan take baths together like this in order for them to grow closer."

So that's why she asked me to take a bath with her. Who in the world told her that trope though? I mean, it's not exactly wrong, but I need to make sure that this person doesn't tell Asia something inappropriate. I will protect her purity by any means possible.

A question came to mind out of the blue. "Hey, Asia. Why did you want to become a Devil?"

"Huh?"

"It's just… you grew up believing in the church and its teachings, so shouldn't you resent becoming something so unholy?"

Asia shook her head and turned around to face me. "After meeting you, Buchou, and everyone else, I realized that not all Devils were bad. It was hard for me at first to decide, but this is what I really want. You were my first friend, Saya, so I wanted to be with you forever."

I see… Of course. That makes sense. I smiled at her response and hugged her.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't going to regret it later."

This feeling…

"Saya…"

This is…

"Saya, I think I…"

Why..?

"L-lo-"

"WHY?!"

"E-eh?"

I grabbed Asia's breasts and squeezed them.

"These are bigger than mine, aren't they? They are, aren't they? Why are they bigger?!"

"Hau! Wh-what are you doing all of a sudden?!"

"Your physique is so much smaller than mine and yet… they're slightly bigger…"

The universe is a cruel place.

"U-um… I think your chest looks fine."

Oh Asia, you're such a sweet girl, but there's no going around the fact that I'm notorious for being only slightly bigger than Koneko. Nonetheless, I was depressed for the rest of the night as Asia tried her best to cheer me up.

* * *

The next day got off to a roaring start as I was forced by Buchou to trudge up a mountain wearing a massive pack filled with who knows what. Why? Training because of the Rating Game with Riser Phenex coming up in about ten days. Though it still didn't make any sense why Buchou and Akeno weren't carrying anything. Given, they're both magic fighters, but Akeno also has the Rook and Knight boost while I have none. They still should train their own physical strength at least. Maybe I'm just bitter right now.

"Come on, Saya," Yumi called out to me from in front. "You're starting to fall behind again."

Grumbling, I fought against the incline to catch up to the others. Koneko waited patiently behind the others for me while Yumi darted off into the forest for whatever reason. I gave Koneko a grateful nod as she slowed down her pace to match mine. Glad to see that she's started to warm up to me again.

After about an hour more of walking, we finally reached our destination to my great relief. I stared in disbelief at the sight of the mansion in front of us. Just how rich was Buchou's family if they could afford something like this? Do Devils have their own currency? I wonder what the exchange rate is if they do.

The inside of the place looked just as luxurious as the outside indicated.

"Alright everyone," Buchou called out. "Let's get changed before we start with our training!"

As I'm about to follow everyone to go get changed, the debacle from last night popped up in my mind. I decided that maybe I should get changed in a different room from them. Slowly, and silently, I tried to slip away from the group until someone grabbed me by the back of my collar and started dragging me.

"Just where do you think you're going?" I heard Buchou say.

"Um… The bathroom?"

"Well, the bathroom is this way."

Ugh… not again. My self-esteem is going to hit rock bottom now.

 **[Look on the bright side, kid. You're still bigger than the knight lady.]**

" _Yeah, I guess…"_

At least, that's what I thought. But…

"Yumi…"

"Hm? What is it, Saya?"

"Those are bandages…"

"Oh, these? Don't worry, I'm not hurt. See?"

"You bind them…"

"Huh? Wait, what are you doing? No, no, stay away from me! Nooooooo!"

Swing, block, dodge, block, block, dodge.

"H-hold on, Yumi. Don't you think-," Horizontal swing, duck. "You're trying a bit-," Hop, block. "Too hard?!"

The Knight didn't heed my words as she continued to unleash an unrelenting barrage of slashes. I was barely able to keep up with her speed, and even then, I was constantly forced onto the defensive. It really didn't help that my arms were still aching after Koneko almost snapped them in half.

Yumi ducked and disappeared from sight for a brief moment. Behind. Twirl and deflect. She's not there?!

Just as I'm about to turn back around, I feel the cold wood of the training sword tap the back of my neck.

"My win. Your form is too sloppy and you leave too many openings," the blonde Knight said cockily.

I dropped my sword on the ground and sighed. That's just how I learned how to fight. Looks like in terms of pure swordsmanship, I'm not even close to Yumi's level. Especially with her Knight boost.

Next, magic training with Akeno. To be totally honest, I did have experience with using it in the past, but the body I have right now is extremely desensitized to anything magical. It's going to take a while for any progress to be made. That didn't stop Akeno from helping me, though. Up close and personal as well.

"Make sure you concentrate, and focus your magic into your hands," she guided me as she added her own magic in order to help me.

"Ah! I did it!" Asia cried out happily as she held a floating ball of light in her hands.

"Ufufu. Good work, Asia. You're a natural at this."

I really don't see why I have to go through with this… Isn't it good enough if I'm just a pure physical fighter?

Ah, whatever!

As my frustration reached its peak, the not so familiar feeling of warmth from casting a spell enveloped my hands.

"Ara, ara. That's quite small, isn't it, Saya?"

"Akeno…" I took a deep breath to stop myself from strangling her for that jab.

"How about I give you a tip, then?" she said as she adopted a lecturing pose. "Try to imagine something that you are extremely passionate about and base your magic around that."

"Magic works like that?"

"It does. The stronger your imagination, the stronger your magic will be."

Well, that would've been helpful to know much earlier. Then again, it is kinda my fault for avoiding it for so long. If imagination is magic, then maybe…

 **[Hell yeah, partner. Now that's an idea.]**

Right. I'll keep that mind.

"You two," Akeno called as she brought out a box of assorted vegetables. "Please peel these using only your magic for tonight's dinner."

Great… But if I want to personalize my magic, this kind of training is mandatory.

After that torturous fumbling with a knife and almost splitting my neck open multiple times, it was hand-to-hand training with Koneko. I shuddered at the reminder of what happened this morning. I did not want my limbs going anywhere close to her during a fight, but it looks like that might not be an option.

Taking a deep breath, I slipped into a low stance with both my arms held in front of me. Meanwhile, Koneko adopted an unorthodox boxing stance. Must be self-taught. We started circling around each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Considering how Koneko's near indestructible, my options here were extremely limited. Not to mention I'll probably get knocked out if I even try to block one of her hits.

In the end, Koneko attacks first with a simple punch. Sidestep to the side of the punch, slip forward while directing the punch away, kick legs out, catch body, flip, and throw. After I slam Koneko onto the ground, I dash backwards to avoid and wakeup attacks she might do. She picked herself up and dusted herself off with a slightly surprised look.

"What is that?" she asked.

I smiled and stretched my arms. "CQC."

"CQC?"

"Close quarters combat."

Koneko still looked confused, but shrugged and prepared to fight again.

And, now, to top the day off, Buchou's specialty strength training which includes running up a steep mountain trail with a her sitting on a huge rock tied to my back. I swear, she's a complete sadist. Akeno's much more open about it, but Buchou likes to hide it and watch the reactions people have when they realize it.

"Come on, now. You're starting to slow down. Do you want me to get a bigger rock?"

This is torture. It can't even be called training. It's just torture!

Once we reached the top, I fell flat on my face. I didn't care, my legs have gone completely numb.

"You're not done yet, Saya. Come on, 400 push-ups!"

I think I might actually die…

* * *

The training continued with the same routine each day. I learned how to deal with a Knight's speed, how to properly control the flow of magic, expanded my hand-to-hand repertoire, and of course, increased my physical abilities in general.

Currently, I was laying in my bed, unable to fall asleep even though I was dead tired. Will we be able to win this Rating Game? Even with all of our training, Riser still has the upper hand in terms of experience. Not to mention his game breaking phoenix regeneration. If my assumptions are true, then that would make him near unbeatable.

I sighed. There's no use thinking about these things. If we lose, then we lose. That's just bad luck. Getting up, I made my way to the kitchen to grab something to drink. On the way down, I noticed someone sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Buchou?" I called out as I made my way to sit down across from her.

"Oh, Saya. Good evening," she greeted.

"Good evening," I replied before noticing a pair of glasses on her face. "You have bad vision?"

"No. These are more for concentration," she said as she gestured towards the books on the table.

"These are… strategy books? You're studying tactics?"

"Yes. Although, these are more for my own peace of my mind."

"Because our opponent is essentially immortal. Right? Normal tactics wouldn't work against an opponent like that."

"Observant as always," Buchou nodded and smiled. "Riser's won every single official Rating Game he's been in except for two, and those two were thrown in order to keep their relations with those clans."

"But of course, he's not totally indestructible. There's always a catch to these kinds of powers. Some kind of weakness."

Buchou paused and stared at me for a moment before sighing. "I would question why and how you know so much, but knowing you, you'll just say you'll explain later. To answer your that, yes. There are two ways we can beat him."

I nodded and leaned forward in my seat.

"One," she said while raising a finger. "Is to completely annihilate his body."

"Two," she raised another finger. "Is to beat him down until his mind is destroyed."

"The first method would take the power beyond what we currently have, and the second would be a battle of attrition, so that would be our best bet. Even if his body can keep regenerating, his fighting spirit won't," Buchou finished.

No, there could be a way for the first method to work, but it would also be extremely risky.

"Buchou. I'm aware of the current situation that Devils are in, so is there any particular reason why you don't want to marry Riser?" I asked.

The person that I saw in front of me, that strong, passionate, and caring person looked so extremely vulnerable right now. She pulled off her glasses and placed them on the table.

"It's because to him, I'm a Gremory," she said. "I undoubtedly hold pride in my family name, but I want people to see me as Rias, not Rias Gremory. That's why I wanted to live in the human world, because nobody here knew about my standing as a Gremory."

Buchou continued to talk. "My wish is to be married to someone who loves me as Rias. The fact that Riser only sees me as a Gremory is why I do not wish to be with him."

Silence hung in the air as I took in the words she just said. Getting up from my seat, I made my way around the couch and hugged her from behind.

"You won't have to worry about that, Buchou," I said.

"Huh?"

"I know for a fact that everyone in the Occult Research Club loves you for who you are. You're kind, you're strong, and you have the natural charisma a leader could have. That's what draws people to you, and that's what keeps them near you. The woman in front of me is indeed Rias Gremory, but all I see is the girl who took me in under her wing and cared for me. To me, you are Rias."

I felt Buchou's body shake as small droplets of water fell from her face and onto her lap. We stayed like that for a while. It could've been minutes, or it could've been hours, but it didn't matter. After the shaking stopped, Buchou's breathing became steady and deeper. Making sure that she was asleep, I went to grab a blanket before crawling up next to her and pulling it over the both of us. With Buchou's warmth next to me, this time it didn't take very long me to fall asleep.

* * *

 **[EXPLOSION]**

I tightened my grips on the two wooden training swords in my hands and held them at my sides.

Yumi, who stood opposite of me nodded and slid into her two-handed stance.

Out of the corner of my eye I caught the sight of Buchou bringing the whistle up to her lips.

My legs tense as Yumi does the same in preparation for the start of the match.

 _PHWEET!_

I explode out of my starting position as soon as the whistle sounds and bring one of my swords crashing down on the still stationary Knight. In response, she raised her sword and deflected it to the side and lunged to try to stab me. Raising my other sword, I blocked the strike and pushed away.

There was a slight lull in the battle as we both circled each other. This time, Yumi made the first move as she disappeared from sight with her speed. I feinted a strike with both my swords in front of me before she appeared behind me with hers raised. In an instant I flipped one of my swords into a reverse grip while I held the other above my head to block the strike. Once I heard the clack of wood hitting wood, I thrust backwards with my free sword and felt it connect with flesh.

 _PHWEET!_

 **[RESET]**

I relaxed my grip, took a deep breath and turned around to see if I injured Yumi too much. The Knight was on her feet rubbing her stomach with a grimace.

"Sorry. Are you hurt?" I asked as I walked up to her.

Yumi grinned and shook her head. "Surprisingly, no. Nothing Asia can't fix up anyways."

"That's good. I was kind of worried I might have seriously hurt you there."

As Asia worked to heal Yumi, Buchou started talking to me.

"Good work," she said. "Although, your style is unorthodox, you've definitely gotten better over the last week. Next, let's have you go against Akeno in a mock magic battle."

"Right," I nodded and got back into my starting position while Akeno moved to where Yumi started.

The Queen smiled sadistically. "Ufufu. I won't go easy on you, so show me how strong you've gotten, Saya."

"Of course. I have no intent of holding back either."

Once again, Buchou raised the whistle to her mouth and blew, signaling the start of the match.

Akeno almost immediately launched a lightning bolt in my direction, but was caught off guard when it seemingly disappeared when I waved my hand in the air. More and more, the barrage of lightning continued. Again and again, they all disappeared from a gesture with my hands.

That should be enough, I think.

I leaped backwards as a particularly large lightning bolt struck where I was just standing. Swiping my arm vertically, I opened my Vault and caught the rest Akeno's attacks that were heading towards me. A look of realization dawned on her face as she put together what my plan was. Gathering magic in my palm, I pushed forward through the rift in the air and launched all the collected lightning bolts through it as a single entity.

The massive spear of electricity flew through the air past Akeno and struck a mountain, blowing a massive hole in it.

"There it is again…" Buchou mumbled.

Akeno's face was scrunched up in concentration looking at the area where I opened my Vault. Makes sense, considering a power like that would normally require massive amounts of magic.

"My," the Queen said. "You're just full of mysteries, aren't you?"

Buchou clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention. "Alright, good work everyone! Tomorrow is the last day we have before the Rating Game so make sure you train as hard as you can today and rest up tomorrow. If I catch anyone training tomorrow, I'll make sure that you'll regret it later!"

"Now," Buchou said as she held out her hand. Akeno, Koneko, Asia, Yumi, and I all placed our hands on top of Buchou's. "What say we show Riser just how strong we can be!"

""YEAH!""

* * *

 **[How's the spell coming along, partner?]**

" _The theory is all there, but I'm not sure about the execution. It could go all wrong and we'd lose one of our trump cards."_

 **[You've still got all those legendary weapons so it should be fine if it fails.]**

" _Yeah, and all the training made it so that I can at least a few of the weaker ones."_

 **[Kinda ironic how you have the actual Longinus in your arsenal.]**

" _I'm a Devil though, so even seeing it would probably kill me."_

 **[I dunno. It came from a different world so the properties could be different.]**

" _It's a risk that I probably won't take unless the situation absolutely calls for it."_

 **[Fair enough.]**

A knock on my door drew my attention away from my meditation.

"Saya? Can I come in?"

"Oh, Asia. Of course."

The door opened and Asia dressed in her original nun outfit slipped in.

"Um… Do you mind if we can talk?" she asked timidly.

I nodded and led Asia to sit down on the bed. "What do you need?"

She didn't say anything, but clung onto me instead.

"Asia?"

The nun started shivering as she tightened her grip on my arm.

"I'm scared," she whimpered after a while. "Whenever I think of the battle, I start shaking uncontrollably…"

Saying nothing, I hug Asia and bring her head to my chest. She stiffens up slightly, but relaxes as soon as I start stroking her back.

"Don't worry, Asia," I say comfortingly. "I'll be there to protect you."

Asia's breathing slowed and her shaking stopped.

"Saya, will you stay with me forever?"

Forever, huh? I would like for that to happen, but my forever is different from yours.

"Of course. Until the end of time."

"Thank you…"

This is the second time this week that I'm hugging and comforting a distressed girl. Well, this is a fairly stressful situation to be in after all. As I was stroking Asia's hair, and idea came to mind and I began to sing.

 _Toorimase_  
 _(Let us pass,)  
Toorimase  
(Let us pass.)  
Ikaba izuko ga hosomichi nareba  
(Where does this narrow path lead?)  
Tenjin moto he to itaru hosomichi  
(This is the narrow pathway to the gods in heaven.)  
Goiken gomuyou toorenu totemo  
(Your thoughts do not matter, you cannot pass.)  
Kono ko no too no oiwai ni  
(To celebrate this child's tenth,)  
Ryou no ofuda wo same ni sanzu  
(I must make an offering with these talismans.)  
Iki wa yoi nagi kaeri wa kowaki  
(Going in may be pleasant, but returning is scary.)  
Wa ga naka kowaki no tooshi no kana  
(Can I pass despite my fears?)_

At the end of the lullaby, Asia was sleeping peacefully. I planted a light kiss on top of her head and tucked her into my bed. Tomorrow, we would be facing off against Riser. This battle will not only determine Buchou's future, but ours as well. Losing will not be an option. I couldn't help but feel giddy at the prospect of testing my skills and taking them to their limits once more.

* * *

It was nearing midnight as we waited for the Rating Game to start. The air was stiff and heavy with how tense everyone was and nobody said a word. I looked towards Koneko who was sitting on a couch reading something. She looked the most calm of us all, but then again, she was always like this.

The magic circle in the center of the room shined and Grayfia appeared from it.

"The battle will begin shortly. Please finish with the rest of your preparations as soon as you can. Also, keep in mind that the Demon King Lucifer will be observing this battle," she stated.

Buchou frowned and bit her lip. "Big brother, huh?"

Big brother? The current Lucifer is Buchou's older brother? Then… that's why she was forced to become the heir instead. But, Lucifer is it? That means he must be insanely powerful. I wonder if he has the same magic that Buchou does. Some kind of power to annihilate everything in its path does deserve recognition.

"Is everyone prepared?" Grayfia spoke up again. "If you are, then please step into the magic circle. It will transport you to the battlefield and you will be given time until the battle to do whatever you wish. Additionally, you will not be able to leave the battlefield until a winner has been declared."

It's do or die time, then. As we all stepped into the glowing circle, the light engulfed us and…

Huh?

"Isn't this the club room?" I asked while taking a look around us.

Before anyone could answer, the intercom crackled to life and Grayfia's voice came through it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Grayfia of the Gremory clan, and I will be the referee for this match. Additionally, Sirzechs Lucifer, my master, shall be observing this match. The battlefield for today is a replica of Kuoh Academy that Rias Gremory attends.

Glancing outside the window, I noticed that the sky was completely white. Other than that, the replica looked one for one to the real one.

"Both sides have been transported to their respective bases. Lady Rias is stationed at the Occult Research club room, whereas Sir Riser starts at the student council room. In order for the Pawns to promote, they must be inside the respective enemies' stronghold."

Akeno held out a small earpiece to me and motioned for me to put it on. I nodded, took it, and slipped it on.

"The battle shall now begin. The time limit will be until daybreak."

There was click as the intercom turned off as we went to work. Buchou started going over overall battle strategies as Akeno started… making tea? I understand that this is the club room, but there's a time and place for everything, you know. Shaking my head, I helped Yumi spread out a map of the school grounds.

"It would be wisest if we took out all eight of Riser's Pawns before they have a chance to Promote," Buchou said as she walked up to the map and started looking it over.

After a while she nodded her head, and started marking things on the map. "The forest is in plain sight from the enemy base so focusing all our strength in there is inadvisable, instead, we should go through the sports grounds. Of course, Riser will have thought of this and will probably send in some high mobility units, Knights and Pawns. That's where our first unit will go. Next, we'll have a detachment move to capture the gym. If we do, we can successfully capture our opponent in a pincer attack. Riser will most likely suspect this as well, and considering how the gym is an enclosed space, he will probably send in his Rooks and some Pawns."

Turning to us, she continued to speak. "Yumi, Koneko, you two will go set up traps in the forest. Akeno, set up barriers around the perimeter of the forest as well as the sky above it."

""Right,"" they all said as they went out to do their respective tasks.

Meanwhile, it was just Buchou, Asia and me left in the club room. Buchou went to sit on the couch while Asia and I just stood around awkwardly.

"Saya, come lay your head here," Buchou called while patting her lap.

A lap pillow? At this point in time? But, it wouldn't really do any good to disobey her so I just did as I was told. Once I made myself comfortable on her thighs, Buchou placed her hands on top of my head and magic started flowing through them.

"I'm undoing all the seals I placed on you," she explained.

"Seals?"

"Yes, I had to seal away a majority of the Pawn pieces I used to revive you because your body wasn't strong enough to handle the strain. Now though, I am certain that you can make use of all eight of the pieces."

I see. It's just like the restrictions I have on my powers and weapons.

Once the ritual was done, the others radioed in and confirmed that their parts in the preparations were finished. This is the moment the battle really starts.

Koneko and I were partnered together to take the gym while Yumi and Akeno were alone doing their own things. Buchou and Asia both stayed back at the club room and was now going over our orders through the earpieces.

"Saya, Koneko, make sure that you follow my orders accordingly. It is paramount that you do so."

""Roger.""

"Yumi, Akeno, I'll leave you two carry out the plan with your own judgments."

""Yes, Buchou."

"Asia will stay here with me until we can drive Riser out. Everyone, go show them what we're made of!"

With that, Koneko, Yumi and I started making our way towards the gym. Halfway there Yumi split off from us while Koneko and I continued on.

The entire replica was extremely well made. I couldn't tell that there was any difference at all. I started boosting once we arrived at the location.

"They're already here," Koneko whispered as we hid behind the entranceway.

"Right," I nodded. "And they probably now that we're here as well."

We shared a brief glance at each other before walking inside. What awaited us was a group of four. The staff girl, chainsaw twins, and Kung Fu girl. If I remember correctly, the three small girls are Pawns so it'd be my job to take them out leaving dumping girl for Koneko. It looked like Koneko had the same idea.

"Saya. The Pawns are yours. I'll handle the Rook," she said as she tightened her adorable looking gloves.

"Got it. Good luck."

Koneko leapt off to the side and the Chinese girl followed her. Meanwhile, the twins revved their chainsaws and started laughing.

"Hey, hey, Nel. Let's cut the pretty big sister up!"

"Good idea, Ile. I was just thinking the same idea!"

Crazy lolis are not a good thing. Especially if their wielding such dangerous weapons. I summoned a pair of curved short swords in my hands and prepared myself. Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. Crafted by a husband and wife blacksmith pair in China. It's said that the two will always attract each other if they are ever separated, and that is exactly what they do.

I threw Gan Jiang at the staff girl to preoccupy her while I rushed towards the chainsaw twins. The twins tried swinging their chainsaws at me, but each swing was deflected by one of mine and countered with five more. My arm became a whirlwind as I slashed away at the two girls, and it only became faster as Gan Jiang came flying back towards me. By the end, it had became a deadly dance of death as my arms blurred faster and faster, cutting up the twins with small scratches all over their bodies. Deciding that it was enough, I slashed at both of them with the back of the blade and knocked them both out.

As the twins collapsed to the ground, the pole girl charged at me with her weapon raised. I twirled past the pole, threw the pair of short swords back into my vault and slammed the girl down while pinning her.

I glanced at Koneko and noticed that she was doing the same to the Rook.

"Saya, Koneko. The preperations are complete. Proceed with the rest of the plan," Buchou's voice came through our communicators.

What great timing. We nodded at each other and let go of our respect enemies before dashing outside.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? The gym is a key strategic point!" The Chinese girl called out to us.

I flashed a grin and a thumbs up behind us at our enemies before dashing out the door.

A moment later, the entire gym exploded in a brilliant flash as Akeno rained a massive lightning bolt onto it.

Grayfia's voice rang out through the school intercom system again. "Riser Phenex's three Pawns, and one Rook have been eliminated."

"We got them!" I raised my hand in the air and Koneko connected the high five.

"Good job, Saya," she smiled and nodded.

"Ufufu," Akeno giggled as she floated down towards us. "You two did a wonderful in there."

Alright, our first mission is complete and without any casualties on our end. If this keeps up, we can have a chance at winning this without me using my trump cards.

Just as I was about to turn to Koneko, I heard her scream out in pain as an explosion engulfed her.

"Koneko!"

I rushed to her side as the smoke from the explosion began to clear. When I picked her up and checked the severity of her wound, I breathed a sigh of relief. Her clothes were a mess, but at least he body was intact. The only problem was that she was barely clinging onto consciousness. Seeing her like this made my insides flare up.

"I'm sorry…" she managed to croak out. "I wish I could've helped more…"

Koneko's body disappeared in a flash as Grayfia's voice announced the take.

"Rias Gremory's Rook has been eliminated."

I know that the contestants are immediately transported to the medical staff, but seeing an ally be beaten like that is still upsetting,

Glaring up at the figure of Riser's Queen floating in the sky, I growled. "Akeno. Sorry, but as much as I'd like to, can I ask you to beat her ass down?"

"Of course," she replied. "You can go meet up with Yumi. I will be sure to avenge Koneko."

As I turned my back and began running away, a series of large explosions rang out as the two Queens started battling it out. I used cover of the shadows from the buildings to move through the school in case there were any ambushes. Just as I reached the sports grounds, Grayfia called out another set of takes.

"Three more Pawns from Riser Phenex have been eliminated."

Looks like Yumi's been busy. So that just leaves two Pawns, the Bishops, the Knights, one Rook, the Queen, and Riser himself.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that, Yumi," I whispered as I turned around.

The Knight sheepishly rubbed the back of her head as she pulled me into a nearby storage room.

We started going over the events of the battle as we sat down to take a short break. Apparently Riser used his three Pawns in order to gauge Yumi's strength instead of trying to take her down. When she told me this, her eyes gained a dark shadow over them. Considering how much she values chivalry and all things knightly, she probably thought that to be a cowardly move. On the subject of the enemy's base, it seems like a Knight, Rook, and Bishop are guarding the sports grounds.

I sighed and wrapped my tail around me.

"This is going to be long, and hard fight, huh…" I said.

Yumi nodded and took my hands in hers.

"Don't worry," she said. "We'll win this for sure."

"Yumi…"

"Saya…"

"Just so you know," I grinned and pulled away the Knight. "You're not gonna be able to seduce me with your charms."

Yumi smirked and put her hands up in the air in mock defeat. "Alas, you have seen right through me. Just as I'd come to expect from you, my dear lady."

"But, of course, I would gladly become your bride if you were to rescue me from an evil king."

"I would gladly do so even without your offer. For your beauty has charmed my heart to its core."

 **[You two are going to make me throw up.]**

Our playful banter continued on like this for quite some time until apparently, our enemies had gotten fed up of listening to those corny lines.

"My name is Karlamine, Riser Phenex's Knight!" A strong voice shouted from outside. "I hereby challenge Rias Gremory's Knight to a duel!"

At this declaration, Yumi smiled and grabbed her sword.

"Looks like our chat will have to wait, princess," she said as she made her way outside.

"My name is Kiba Yumi, Rias Gremory's Knight! I gladly accept your challenge," Yumi declared as she squared off against her opponent. "As a fellow Knight, there would be no way I'd decline such an invitation.

"Well said, Kiba Yumi!" Karlamine shouted and dashed forward with her sword drawn.

Yumi immediately leapt and clashed with her. Meanwhile, I turned towards the Rook and the Bishop who were left. Taking down a tank and caster at the same time might be a bit tough…

 **[BOOST]**

The masked woman whom I assume is the work starts making her way towards me while leaving the drill girl behind.

"Just so you know, she won't be fighting," the woman said as she pointed behind her.

"Huh? Why?"

"She's a special case. She's actually Riser Phenex's blood-related little sister, Ravel Phenex."

Ddraig groaned in my head. **[Oh boy. His real little sister, huh? A distant cousin would've been a bit better but a little sister?]**

The enemy Rook must've noticed the slight exasperation that showed on my face since she immediately went to explain why the turkey man was into incest. That only served to further disappoint me. So not only is he an irreparable pervert, he's also an irreparable idiot.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with then," I shook my head and drew a pair of normal short swords that I had strapped to my back.

My opponent nodded and raised her fists in front of her. Looks like Rooks all prefer to fight hand-to-hand, huh. I can deal with that. Taking a quick glance to the side to see how Yumi was doing, I was relieved to see that she was managing to fight on par with her opponent.

I turned my attention back to my fight and I waited. Mask lady frowned as she waited for me to make a move as well. We continued circling around each other like this until eventually she got fed up with it and started sprinting towards me with her fist raised.

Right before she could reach me, she stepped right into my trap and was blown backwards by a multitude of explosions. Her scream told me that it must've at least done a modicum amount of damage to her. Good thing I was setting up those traps when she was busy talking about her idiot of a King.

When the smoke cleared I could see that she was slightly charred and her clothes were ripped in some areas, but other than that she didn't look too winded.

 **[EXPLOSION]**

There it was. As mask lady was still stunned from the explosion, I rushed forward with one of the short swords raised in the air before slamming it into the ground near her. The force of the blow shattered the blade into pieces, but the shockwave managed to launch the Rook into the air. Jumping, I followed her body into the air while rearing back my remaining sword. When we reached the peak, I slammed the hilt of the sword into the Rook's body, and sent her careening back down to the ground. I grimaced and grit my teeth as I felt my arm break.

Landing next to the crater the Rook's body created, I cautiously walked up to it while cradling my broken arm.

"All of Riser Phenex's Rooks have been eliminated."

 **[RESET]**

I breathed a sigh of relief as Grayfia announced that, but cringed as my arm flared up in pain. In hindsight, that might not have been such a good idea.

It looks like Yumi is still fighting against Karlamine. I did a sudden spit take when I noticed that Yumi was surrounded by tons of swords. What in the world happened there?

 **[Sword Birth. A Sacred Gear that lets the user create any kind of Demonic sword they can think of]**

"Well, well. You're not half bad for taking down Isabela like that, but it looks like you're a bit handicapped now, huh?" A teasing voice called out.

Great. More of them. This time, it seems like the rest of the gang had come out. Considering that Yumi's still engaged with her opponent, that means I'll probably have to take all of them down myself

The one who spoke, a cat girl with a sailor uniform, marched up to me along with another almost identical cat girl. Another pair of twins?

"Riser decided that he wanted to have a one-on-one duel with Rias so he let us all go have some fun," she said while pointing to two figures flying in the sky.

Buchou… Dammit. I need to finish this fast, so I can get to her. If she slips up and loses, then it's all over. Looks like I'll have to use a trump card here, then.

 **[BOOST]**

"Ni, Li! That Sacred Gear allows her to increase her power every ten seconds! She has a limit of five power ups so make sure that you beat her within thirty seconds!" Ravel called out.

""Roger!""

The twin cat girls rushed at me with their fists raised and began launching a barrage of punches and kicks at me. I was forced to pedal backwards as they continued their assault. When one pulled away, the other would attack and cover for her. This type of hit-and-run tactic was extremely effective and it would slowly whittle away at a person's endurance until they collapse from the accumulated damage. That is, if I let them. A plan began to form in my mind as I leapt backwards from the twins before slamming Boosted Gear into the ground.

"Boosted Gear: Second Liberation!"

The red gauntlet grew and transformed as I unlocked more of its power.

"Yumi!" I shouted. "Use your Sacred Gear!"

"Right," the Knight nodded and ran to my side before plunging her sword into the ground. "Sword Birth!"

"Transfer! Union skill: Bladestorm!"

As I added my Boosted Power into Yumi's Sacred Gear, swords sprouted from the ground and covered the entire field impaling anyone and everyone unlucky enough to not be flying in the air.

"Riser Phenex, two Pawns, one Knight, and one Bishop have been eliminated."

""Yes!"" Yumi and I hugged each other as Ravel stared in disbelief at the carnage that just completely wiped out their fighting force.

"Saya," Yumi said once we broke away from each other. "What did you do just now?"

I grinned and flashed her my new gauntlet. "I just transferred a little power from me to you. It's one of the Boosted Gear's abilities."

"Rias Gremory's Queen has been eliminated."

What? Akeno?! Suddenly, I was blown to the ground as an explosion engulfed Yumi.

I stared in shock as the Knight's charred body fell to the ground and disappeared.

"Rias Gremory's Knight has been eliminated."

"Yumi… Akeno…"

Dammit!

I glared at Riser's Queen who casually floated past me to the roof of the school building where Buchou and Riser were fighting. She sent me a small smirk over her shoulder before continuing on.

Damn… damn, damn, damn it all!

If this were a real battle, Yumi, Akeno, and Koneko would all be dead right now… If only I trained harder… if only I didn't slack off so much… And after I promised Buchou that we would win this as well.

I guess, it's time…

"Well, miss Pawn. It looks like you've lost this," Ravel said in a condescending voice. "Why don't you come here so we can watch my big brother beat Rias?"

"That vial, that's what your Queen used to win against Akeno, right?" I asked.

"You mean these phoenix tears? Yes. These are able to heal any wound, no matter how severe it is. It is on the same level as our families' natural regenerative abilities."

I smiled and stood up, facing the roof of the school.

 **[BOOST]**

"Then that means Akeno's stronger than her, huh?"

"What?" Ravel looked taken aback at my statement.

"Having to rely on that means Akeno pushed her past her limits."

I tensed my legs and crouched down low to the ground.

 **[BOOST]**

The look on drill's face was priceless as she struggled to find a retort. When she couldn't think of one, she tried to change the topic. "Well where do you think you're going? You should know that you have no chance of winning this, right?"

 **[BOOST]**

"Hey! Answer me! Don't you ignore me!"

 **[BOOST]**

I start focusing and searching for the weapons I need in order to win this battle. The final trump cards.

"No offense to you or your family," I said. "But even a phoenix can be killed, and I'm going to show you how."

 **[EXPLOSION]**

With the final boost, I release all the energy in my legs and jump. In seconds, I land on the roof next to Buchou and Asia.

"Promotion: Queen!"

I stand up and extend my good arm to the side.

"Sorry for taking so long you two," I said with a slight grin.

"Saya!"

"That did take you quite a while, huh?"

Buchou was panting and looked like she was nearing the end of her rope. I'm glad that I made it in time.

"Tch," Riser clicked his tongue as he rolled his neck. "Looks like the pest is here now, too."

"Do you want me to take care of them?" Riser's Queen asked.

"No. Beating them myself should teach them some respe-"

Before he could complete his sentence, Buchou sent a blast of magic and blew apart half of Riser's face. Instantly, the wound began to regenerate as flames covered the missing part.

"How rude. You could've at least let me finish. Why don't you just give it up? There's no chance in hell that you can win."

"Kya!" Asia screamed in surprise as Riser's Queen enveloped her in some kind of barrier when she tried to heal my broken arm.

"There is no point in delaying the inevitable," the Queen said with a smirk.

I gave Buchou a look telling them to stay back before stepping forward "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I'll show you how the phoenix can be slain! Gae Dearg, Gae Buidhe!"

At my call, I pulled out a pair of spears. The Crimson Rose of Exorcism was clenched in my teeth as I held the Yellow Rose of Mortality in my left hand.

"Hm?" Riser frowned as he noticed how I pulled out my weapons. "Two Sacred Gears? How is that possible?"

I twirled the spear and pointed Gae Buidhe at Riser.

"Gouge, tear, kill," I chanted.

"What?"

"Gouge the heart, tear the legs, kill the guilty."

My movements became rigid and stilted.

"What are you going on about?"

"Gouge the eyes, tear the arms, kill the innocent."

Red, red, red, red. Red fills the vision. No distinction between features.

 _ **{"GoUGe, GOUGE, GougE, TeAR, teAR, TEaR, KILL}**_

No difference, no mercy, just carnage. I released a primal roar as I felt my strength increase even further. This was an extremely risky move for me to take. If I even lose focus for a second, I'll end up losing control and start on a rampage. My physical form changed as my teeth sharpened, and fur sprouted across my arms and legs. My pupils turned red as they dilated and gained a frenzied look.

"How grotesque," Riser sneered. "Is this your true form, beast?"

"Saya..?" Asia's voice was laced with fear. I didn't dare turn around. I didn't want to see their faces. Not that I even can in the first place.

I crouched down and leapt at Riser with both spears readied. A sea of flames engulfed my entire body, but I ignored it and powered through. I heard a gasp of surprise as I plunged the yellow spear into my target.

"Riser Phenex's Queen has been eliminated."

She took the hit?! More fire washed over my body as I continued wildly swinging the spears in hopes of getting a lucky hit. The metal became unbearably hot, but my teeth, and hand refused to let go. I could feel my flesh burning off, but I didn't care. The pain served as a sort of anchor for my sanity. Everything was burning, and I could hear people calling out my name. I trusted my instincts as I followed my opponent who kept blasting fire at me while keeping his distance. Just one hit. That's all I need. I just need to pierce him once with Gae Buidhe and it'll be my win. More, more, more. I just need to get close!

 **[BURST]**

My body stiffened before I doubled over in pain and started coughing up blood. This is my limit? No, not yet. The red faded from my vision, but was instead replaced by a blurry world. I could feel all the added strength leave my body, including the berserk condition.

I stagger to my feet as Riser floated down towards me.

"You're still alive? I'm surprised," he said. "But it looks like you might as well be dead right now."

"Saya, hold on, I'll heal you right now!" Asia shouted as she ran up to me.

"I don't think so." Riser shot out a wave of fire at Asia and knocked her away.

"Rias Gremory's Bishop has been eliminated."

Asia! Even her…

" _Ddraig, let me use that…"_

 **[No, partner. If you use it as you are now, you'll die for sure.]**

" _I already gave you my damn arm, so what the hell else do you want from me?! I'll give you my whole body, just let me beat Riser."_

 **[I'm sorry, but this is as much as we can do right now.]**

I glanced at the shattered spears in my hands. There's still another way. I'm not going down like this.

Stretching out my hand into my Vault, I grasped a small sharp object and pulled it out. Even with my dragon arm, just grabbing it made me feel like my life was slowly being drained away, but it didn't matter. I pulled it out and clenched it in my fist. One of the fragments of the Sessho-Seki that I have. The smallest one, but it should be enough to destroy Riser.

I faced Riser who was sauntering up to me with his hands in his pockets. Closer, come closer, bird man. Yeah, that's right. Let's see how a phoenix can deal with this curse.

Once he was only a few centimeters away from me, I poured all the remaining strength I had into a punch with the stone in my hand. My hand jerked and stopped when the Phenex caught it just before it reached his body.

A moment later, an immense pain wracked my entire body as he burned me inside and out.

Sorry, Buchou, looks like I failed…

The last thing I heard before I blacked out was Buchou sobbing, and screaming my name.

* * *

 **Omake: So What Exactly Are you?**

"Hey, everyone, I think it's about time I told you the truth about me," I said out of the blue.

It was the final day of our training camp before the Rating Game against Riser and we were currently all relaxing in the lounge area.

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to me. It was kind of unnerving how quickly that happened.

Buchou was the one that spoke up first as she asked, "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"Well," I replied. "We're going to need teamwork if we're going to win tomorrow's battle, and I feel that the only way to strengthen my bonds with all of you is to let you know who I really am."

The others all shared questioning looks with each other.

"More than what you look like?" Koneko asked as she put down a donut she was eating.

I nodded. "Yes. Much more."

"So what exactly are you, then?" Yumi frowned and scratched her head.

Clearing my throat, I stood up from my seat and began pacing around the room. "I suggest you all get comfortable, because this is going to be a really, really long story."

I waited for everyone to settle in before continuing. "My story began a long, long time ago in a dimension far, far away. I, or rather my soul, was born into that dimension as a result of an imbalance. A person who held the title of the Dimensional Ruler created a great force of evil in the form of a black dragon to ravage across the countless worlds in that dimension."

"Um… Excuse me, but what's the difference between dimensions and worlds?" Asia asked as she raised her hand.

"Good question. I'm not really too sure myself, but from my experiences a dimension is like country while worlds are like states, provinces, or territories. That's an extremely basic explanation, but I'm too lazy to go into details."

I could feel all the occupants of the room sweat drop, but I ignored it and continued. "Anyways, because there was such an imbalance in the dimension, it created me as a counter to the black dragon. However, because the Dimensional Ruler is essentially an omnipotent being, it was impossible to completely prevent the dragon from destroying all the worlds without killing the Ruler."

Pausing for a drink, I took a glance around the room to see if anybody had any questions. When there were none I resumed my story. "Because of the infinite nature of the dragon, my soul was created so that each time I died, I would be reborn into a new world to kill another dragon. However, sometimes, I succeeded, and sometimes, I didn't. This infinite loop continued for a while until the Dimensional Ruler intervened. He told me about his existence and he told me that the only way to save all the worlds would be to kill him."

"Why would he do something that?" Yumi asked.

"I can only assume that he was trying to kill himself and pass on the power to somebody worthy," Akeno suggested.

"Exactly, great guess Akeno," I nodded and congratulated her. "That was exactly his reasoning. The power of the Dimensional Ruler has to always be bound to somebody and the only way for it to be transferred is if the previous owner dies. And the only way for the Dimensional Ruler to die, is if they are killed in the Dimensional Rift which is essentially the Ruler's home. The Ruler cannot die in any other way."

"Wait, then does that mean…"

Looks like Buchou's put it together.

"That's right. I am the current Dimensional Ruler."

Yumi stared at me in shock. "You're…"

Asia's mouth dropped open. "A…"

"God…" Koneko finished.

I nodded. "In a sense, yes."

"How did I manage to revive you as a part of my peerage then? If you have that much power it shouldn't have worked," Buchou frowned and asked.

"It's because I sealed almost all of my powers."

"Ara, why would you do that?" Akeno questioned.

"Because I don't want to lose sight of my humanity. I feel like the reason why the previous Ruler wished to die is because he had grown tired of the universe."

I took a seat on the edge of one of the couches and crossed my legs.

"Since, I got my power, I've been travelling to different dimensions and worlds to help solve the problems they have in them. That's why I'm here right now," I explained.

Asia clasped her hands together and stared at me in awe. "That sounds so noble, Saya!"

"Yes," Yumi nodded and smiled. "That is indeed a wonderful goal."

"But you do not feel it is so. Why is that, Saya?"

Looks like Akeno picked up on my hesitation. Before I could get a chance to answer her, Koneko answered for me.

"Lonely," she said. "Living forever, and watching your friends die."

Spot on. Koneko explained exactly how I felt about this whole situation. The whole room fell into silence as they all tried to imagine what it would be like to live like this.

Buchou was the one who broke the silence. "Do you regret it?"

I sighed and leaned backwards so that I was staring at the ceiling. "To be honest, there were times where I would question myself and my motives. I started to distance myself from people so that I wouldn't have to face the pain of losing them, but that just brought along a whole new sensation of pain."

Buchou nodded and hummed. "It's true that you were slightly closed off to us at the start."

"Ahem," I cleared my throat and jumped to my feet. "Well, I think that's enough serious stuff for one day. We're supposed to be relaxing and having fun, right?"

"Ufufu. That's right. We can always talk more about this later after we win. How about we all go take a bath for now," Akeno giggled and suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea, Akeno," Buchou smiled and agreed.

Everyone else nodded, and we all made our way to the outdoor baths for some quality bonding time.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Stray Hound, Holy Blue Knight,

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (D-)

 **Endurance:** D+ (D)

 **Agility:** B (C+)

 **Magic:** E-

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Gae Dearg, Gae Buidhe, Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone) [Unusable], Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (E-) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (C-) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX (N/A) - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX (N/A) - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Note:** Skills will be unlocked not based on training, but on Saya's motivations and emotions during battle. The unlock conditions on abilities vary.


	9. A Phenex's Ashes 3

**AN:** Sorry for the long break in between chapters, but the release of Fallout 4 caused me to throw everything out of the window and lock myself in my room to play it. Amazing game by the way. Anyways, thank you to all who waited patiently for this. So, with this chapter, the Riser arc comes to a hot and steamy end (in more ways than one). I might just be working on a little extra to this chapter and I might release it if people want it.

* * *

"Where..?"

I cracked open my eyes to find that I was back in my room.

We lost, huh?

I raised my hand to my face and rubbed my eyes to prevent the tears from flowing out. Even though I had prepared myself for the worst, it still didn't help with the pain.

As I was busy trying to cope with the fact that I failed, someone spoke up beside me. "You're awake."

Looking beside the bed, I noticed Grayfia sitting on a chair with her hands folded on her lap.

I closed my eyes and turned away from her.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "If I didn't use up so much strength in the beginning, we could've won. Because I was careless, Rias is going to get married to Riser now."

"Yes. You could've beaten Isabela without breaking your arm, but you wished to end the battle as soon as possible so you could go assist Lady Rias, no?"

Cold, right to the core. The least you could do is try to comfort me.

"However," Grayfia continued. "You and the others all fought admirably. It was through your combined powers that allowed you to gain ground against Riser like that."

Right, there's the comfort.

"I'm guessing everyone's at some kind of party or whatever, right? Otherwise I'd be swarmed the instant I woke up."

"Indeed. Everybody except Asia has gone to the Underworld to attend Lady Rias' engagement party. Asia chose to stay back in order to look after you and attend to any wounds that the phoenix tears may have failed to heal."

"Phoenix tears?"

"Yes. Ravel Phenex decided to give you a vial in order to help you heal."

That confused me. "What? Why would she do that?"

"I do not know. She did not state her reasons, although Lady Rias was extremely grateful to her."

"I see…" I checked my body for any signs of the wounds I accumulated from the battle, but noticed that there were none. Considering how badly I got burned and torn apart, those phoenix tears are the real thing, huh? I slid out of bed and began dressing myself.

"That dress," Grayfia commented. "Where do you think you are going with that on?"

"The Underworld."

"Oh? How exactly are you going to get there?"

"I'll find a way."

"And what about Lady Rias? How will you find her if you get there?"

"I'll turn the whole place upside down if I have to."

"Pff…"

Huh? I turned around to see Grayfia covering her mouth and giggling.

"You are indeed an interesting person," she said in between giggles. "Master Sirzechs has acknowledged that as well."

"I see…"

I was still in shock at the fact that someone as stiff and cold as Grayfia could have such a cute look.

The maid reached into a pocket in her skirt and pulled out a slip of paper before handing it to me.

"This will transport you directly to the engagement party."

As I took the piece of paper from her, I looked at her questioningly. "You were planning for this to happen?"

Grayfia simply smiled and shrugged. "This was Master Sirzech's idea. He said to use it however you see fit."

With that, she bowed and teleported away while I was left standing and staring at the opportunity I had in front of me. A moment later the door swung open and revealed Asia standing at the doorway holding a bundle towels.

"Saya..?"

I smiled and waved at her. "Hey, Asia. How've you been?"

"Saya!"

The small girl immediately dropped everything she was holding and dived into me while crying and calling my name.

"I-I was so scared…" she said in between sobs. "You didn't wake up for two days, a-and I thought…"

Patting her head, I held Asia in my arms and waited for her to calm down.

"Sorry for worrying you," I apologized once the former nun had stopped crying.

"No," Asia shook her head and looked up at me. "It's okay."

I felt bad for doing this right after Asia finally had her peace of mind, but I don't want Buchou to be married to someone she doesn't want to. A woman should always have the right to choose who they want to marry, after all.

"Asia, listen. I'm going to the Underworld to get Buchou back."

"What?" Asia looked stunned at my plan for a second before a burning determination filled her eyes. "If you're going, then I'm going to go too!"

"No. This will be a singular duel between me and Riser. Even if you do go, all you'll be able to do is watch."

The poor girl looked like she was going to burst out into tears again, but she bravely held it in and glared at me in defiance. The little action filled me with a little bit of pride at how much she had grown from the timid nun I met a couple of weeks ago.

Sighing, I took her into my arms again and began patting her head. "It'll be fine, Asia. I only lost to Riser last time because I got careless. I'll definitely beat him black and blue and come back with Buchou, okay?"

"Do you promise that you'll be safe?"

"Of course."

With almost one hundred percent of my power available, and with the sacrifices I made, it shouldn't take more than five seconds to beat Riser.

* * *

They were really having fun in there huh? It sure sounds like there're a lot of Devils in there. Just how many people were invited to this party? Well, not like it matters.

" _You ready to go, Ddraig?"_

 **[Whenever you're ready, partner.]**

Time to crash a party.

I raised the long halberd with a curved green blade high above my head with both of my hands before bringing it down with as much force as I could muster. The blade cut cleanly through the air and missed the doors entirely, but the air current from swing easily blew the doors of their hinges.

The entire room went silent as all the occupants stared in shock as I strode through the opening I created.

"Hey you! What do you think you're doing?"

Why do they have guards here? You'd think that the high-class Devils would be enough to deter any attackers. Nonetheless, a single swing from my weapon sent the three guards that had tried to block my path, flying into the crowd. My red dress swayed slightly from wind the swing caused before I continued walking towards my target. The steady click of my heels against the floor was the only sounds that could be heard.

"Ara, ara. I was beginning to think that you wouldn't make it," Akeno appeared next to me dressed in a kimono.

A tuxedo-clad Yumi appeared next as she batted away a guard that was trying to sneak up behind me. "It certainly took you long enough. I hope you haven't given poor Asia too much trouble, princess."

And finally Koneko stepped in front of me and grabbed a spear that a guard had thrown out of the air before snapping it over her knees. Turning to me, she gave a simple look that said, "You're late."

Nodding and thanking them, I made my way up a set of stairs to where Riser and Buchou were standing.

"Riser Phenex," I called. "Buchou's - no - Rias' heart does not belong to you! She should be allowed to choose who she marries!"

"Tch. Presumptuous brat. I'll-"

Before Riser could continue any further, somebody stepped in front of him, took my free hand in his, and shook it.

"So you're the new Red Dragon Emperor. It's nice to finally be able to meet you in person," the man said. Wait, is this Buchou's older brother? He has the same shade of red hair, and he also has an extremely similar hair style.

"Lord Sirzechs, what is the meaning of this?" A random old man shouted from the crowd of guests.

Sirzechs. That means Sirzechs Lucifer. So he is Buchou's older brother. I'll have to thank him for giving me this opportunity later.

"Well," the red-haired man let go of my hand and spread his arms. "I thought that the efforts of our guest here were underappreciated. She did, after all, single-handedly defeat many of Riser's pieces, including his Queen. However, the match was slightly one-sided with how much experience Riser had in Rating Games."

"What are you suggesting, then?" Another man, and older looking one, with the same shade of red hair as Buchou, asked. Could he be their dad? He certainly looks old enough, and the red hair is kind of a family trait. If that's the case, then the young woman beside him must be their mother? I guess Devils age slowly, huh. Wonder how old she really is.

I returned my attention to the current Lucifer as he began explaining his plans for the party. "You see, I thought that the party would've been slightly boring if it was just a party. That's why I arranged for this to happen. Don't you think a battle between the two legendary creatures of a dragon and a phoenix would be an exciting event?"

The crowd began whispering amongst themselves at the sudden revelation before they were quieted down by Sirzechs waving a hand in the air.

He then turned to Riser and asked, "I hope you don't mind showing off your powers once more?"

The Phenex bowed and shook his head. "Of course not. There would be no way for me to refuse if it was you who asked me."

"Very good," Sirzechs then turned to me and asked. "Now, what would you want as a prize if you win?"

"I want this marriage to be called off and to forbid anymore arranged marriages in the future," I answered without hesitation.

"That can be done if you win. Now-"

"Wait!"

"Hm?" Sirzechs looked at me questioningly as I interrupted him. "What is it?"

I took deep breath before announcing, "Also, if I lose, I will give myself to the servitude of Rise Phenex for the rest of my life."

"Oh? What's this all of a sudden?"

"Just thought I'd make it a little more interesting."

The Lucifer stared at me wide-eyed before he chuckled and raised his hand in the air. "That does indeed make things more interesting. Well, then, how about a change of scenery for this little event." The man snapped his fingers, and we were teleported outside into some kind of courtyard

The outside battlefield was considerably bigger than the ballroom we were in, but the decorations were lacking a bit. It was way too bland. Then again, that's probably for the best. We don't really want to go around blowing up some ancient and beautiful architecture.

Riser stood opposite of me with a confident smirk on his face. "Do you really think anything will change? I won the last time we fought, and I know of all of your abilities. You have no more tricks left to use."

"Five seconds," I said while holding out five fingers. "That's all it'll take to beat you."

"Hoh? Five seconds? Someone's overconfident. In that case, I'll finish you in two!"

"Buchou… Wait for me. I'll show you what I can truly do. Promotion, Queen!"

As Riser gathered up his flames, I continued building up power.

"You showed me what it's like to live, Buchou, and I'm grateful to you for that. So, no matter what it may be, a phoenix, a god, or even the whole world, I'll stand by you and protect you as your Pawn!"

More, more, keep going.

 **[SHINE! OVER BOOST!]**

There it is! This explosion of power, and the armor that manifested. This is the Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker. The trump card I couldn't use during the Rating Game.

"Wh-what?! That armor, it can't be!"

I smirked at Riser's now panicked expression. I wish he could see my face so he could see how much I was enjoying this.

 **[Partner, remember you can only maintain this for ten seconds.]**

" _It's fine, Ddraig. Didn't I say I'd finish this in five?"_

 **[Just remember that even this armor won't fully protect you from his flames. Be careful.]**

Right. I learned that the hard way when he burned me inside and out the last time. I dispelled the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and cracked my knuckles. There's still one more trump card I have left if even this won't work, but it probably won't come to that.

 **[X]**

The countdown's started. I dashed forward and slid under a wave of flames Riser shot at me before flip kicking him in the chin.

"Grah! You brat!"

 **[IX]**

Not stopping there, I quickly used my arms to sweep the Phenex's legs out from under him and axe kicked him into the ground. The force I used in the attack caused my heel to go straight through his stomach and smash a massive crater in the concrete.

 **[IIX]**

As his wounds began healing, I straddled the downed Devil and began tearing away at his flesh with my claws until Ddraig warned me to get away from him. I leapt backwards just as an explosion of fire engulfed Riser's entire body. When the flames died away, he was left standing with all of his wounds healed, albeit a little out of breath.

 **[VII]**

The Phenex glared at me. "You… It looks like I'll have to unleash my full power on you…"

 **[VI]**

Fire began to swirl around Riser's fist as he appeared to start gathering power. A direct head on clash with that would be suicide, so the only thing left is to use that. I let my heart rate spike, causing my blood to pump faster. The amount of adrenaline flowing through my body increased as time seemed to stop entirely. Even though Riser was no longer moving, I could still move without any inhibitions, so I reached my hand out to the side and grabbed a sword from my Vault. It wasn't just any sword, it was a holy sword, but it was tainted by evil. Although most of the holy energy had been erased, there was still enough of it to make me feel sick to my stomach even just seeing it. This was the holy sword that had been stolen from King Arthur and was used by his own son to slay him. Clarent Blood Arthur.

 **[V]**

Everything began moving again as Riser and I charged at each other for one last strike. A look of shock crossed over his face as he noticed the amount of holy energy radiating off of the sword that seemingly appeared in my hands, but it was too late for him to turn away. Within a millisecond, we collided and I ran the former holy sword through his chest while his punch blasted off half of my helmet. That was a bit too close, if my head had just been a little higher, then it probably would've been blown off as well.

 **[IV]**

"Y-you… that sword… how..?" Riser wheezed as he coughed out a mouthful blood.

Deciding to humor him, I answered, "The sacrifice of two of your arms to a dragon can do wonders. Although, this sword still makes me queasy from holding it."

 **[III]**

"Two arms..? Such… dedication… I don't know… if you're loyal, of just stupid…"

"I'll take that as a compliment. So this is my win?"

 **[II]**

The Phenex gave a painful laugh before nodding weakly. "I'm loathe to admit, but yes… This is your win, Red Dragon Emperor… if this is what you were holding back… during the Rating Game, then yes…"

 **[I]**

With that finally said, I carefully pulled the sword out of my opponent before dispelling it. Although I had tried not to hurt him anymore than he already was, he still screamed in agony at the burning feeling the holy sword gave him. It was pretty impressive that he managed to hold in the pain for that long before collapsing.

"Big Brother!"

I watched as Ravel rushed to her older brother's side, and began tending to his wounds. My armor vanished as the timer ran out and I suddenly felt myself become extremely exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, that even the illusion spell I had maintained on my arms broke, revealing the scaled claws that they actually were. Buchou was probably going to chew me out for this later, huh?

When I checked myself for wounds, I found that I had managed to be relatively unscathed, except for the slight bruise and chars on my face. Nothing Asia can't fix in a second.

"Ravel Phenex, right?" I called out as I began making my way towards the pair of siblings.

The girl's drill-tails bounced as she turned her head towards me momentarily and nodded before turning her attention back to her unconscious brother.

"I just wanted to say thank you for healing me. If you didn't give me those phoenix tears, I wouldn't have gotten this chance to prove myself, so, thanks. And um…" I sheepishly scratched the back of my head before bowing. "I'm really sorry for hurting your brother like that. I hope you won't hold a grudge against me for it."

Once I had finished what I was saying, I began making my way back towards the mansion where everybody was waiting.

"Saya… you…"

I grinned and waved as I walked up to Buchou who was beginning to tear up. "I told you I'd get you out of this, right? Now you don't have to worry about any more arranged marriages."

"You… You… Stupid idiot!"

"Huh?"

Buchou stomped up to me with a massive pout on her face before she reached up to the pair of ears sitting on top of my head and started pulling on them. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! Why would you do that to yourself?! Don't you know that you'll never be normal ever again?!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Bu-Buchou, stop! They're gonna tear! They're gonna tear!"

When the other members of the ORC finally managed to restrain and calm down the raging girl, I was left gently nursing my sore ears after the vicious assault. I knew she was probably going to be mad at me for doing something so drastic, but I just didn't expect it to be so soon.

"That was a wonderful display of power, Red Dragon Emperor," I turned at the sound of Sirzechs voice and saw him approaching me along with the other red-haired man I saw at the party. "No, it should be Red Dragon Empress, right? You are certainly an interesting one if you are willing to go so far as to sacrifice two of your arms for the sake of my younger sister."

I bowed my head in respect before staring the powerful Devil in the eye. "Of course. And I would sacrifice my entire body if I need to in order to keep her safe."

"Pft… Ahahahaha!" Sirzechs held his belly as he burst into laughter after my declaration. "Rias has certainly found herself a wonderful Pawn. I would love to have you in my own Peerage, but unfortunately, I don't think she'd let me." He said between laughs. This guy… Is he really supposed to be the most powerful Devil in the world?

"But enough of that," Sirzechs said after he had calmed down. "I believe you and my younger sister are due for some alone time now, yes?"

That's right, Buchou's free to go now so…

I turned towards the red-haired girl to find that she was no longer pouting, but was glaring daggers at her older brother's back.

"Buchou!" I called to get her attention before pulling out the teleportation slip that Grayfia had given me.

The piece of paper began glowing all of a sudden, causing me to yelp and drop it onto the floor. Then, when the light faded away, it was replaced by a massive creature that appeared to be a cross between a bird and a lion. Wait… Could this be..?

"A griffin…"

It looked like Buchou shared my thoughts. This is the first time seeing one of these for real. Oh my gosh, this is so amazing! My adventurer's spirit is burning up! I need to record this immediately when I get back home. Let's see… alright, got it. I think I have a good enough mental image of it.

With my quick analysis over and done with, I leapt onto the majestic creature's back and held out my hand for Buchou to take. "So, shall we go?"

"I still haven't forgiven you yet," she replied while grabbing my outstretched hand.

"Ahaha, well let's work on that on our way back, ok?"

Once I made sure she was sitting securely on the back of the griffin, I waved back towards Akeno, Koneko, and Yumi who were standing behind us and off to the side. "I'll see you guys back at the club room!"

Er... wait.

How am I supposed to ride this thing? Also, why am I the one controlling this? In all of my excitement of finally seeing something new, I completely forgot that my riding skill was a negative one thousand. Uh-oh… Maybe it's not too late to cha-

"EEEEEK!"

I screamed as the griffin suddenly took off flying into the air with a massive leap and began flying around in loops and circles.

"SAYA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Buchou yelled in panic.

"I'M SORRY! I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS THING WORKS!"

If this keeps going I think I'm gonna be sick…

Somebody, anybody, help!

* * *

This position is… quite agreeable. Buchou and I were both lying naked in my bed after what was quite an interesting night. I hadn't noticed that it had already been nearly three hundred years since I last had a partner. Also, for some reason, even though it was her first time, Buchou hadn't hesitated to take the initiative, and she did not disappoint. It seems also I've forgotten how good it could feel waking up in somebody's arms. Maybe I'm just gonna stay here and sleep for a bit longer. I'm still tired from last night, after all.

Coming to that satisfying conclusion, I curled up and snuggled up closer to Buchou's soft body. I began to drift off to sleep again, before Buchou started giggling and stroking my ears.

"Mm… Buchou… I told you those were sensitive…"

"Aw, I told you it was fine to call me Rias. You were so adorable screaming, and calling my name last night."

I felt my face involuntarily heat up at that comment, causing me to bury my face into Bu - Rias' chest.

Suddenly, she flipped me over onto my back and pushed her body against mine.

"How about we go another round before everyone else wakes up?" Rias suggested with a predatory smile.

Again? Is this how pure-blood Devils are?

"Um… sorry, but I'm still exhausted from last night…"

Rias seemingly just ignored my excuse as she began caressing my breasts while one of her other hand began tracing a line down my stomach.

"Ah! R-rias… stop that…"

She continued teasing my body's senses with her fingers, carefully dancing her fingers around my body. Dammit… why is she so good after just one time? She's purposely avoiding my most sensitive parts.

"Good morning, Saya! It's time for the morning training!"

That voice. Asia?! Oh crap, if she walks in and sees this happening then…

I hurriedly tried to squirm out from under Rias' body, but the movement involuntarily caused one of her hands to brush against my slit, causing me to accidentally let out a moan.

"Saya? Are you okay?" Asia called out from the other side of the closed door. It seems like Rias is completely immersed into trying to please

No, no, no, no, no! Stoooop! Asia's going to see!

" _Ddraig! Do something!"_

 **[Yeah? What do you want me to do, partner? It's my power that's attracting these girls to you in the first place. Best case scenario? Asia decides to join in on what she's missing. Worst case? She's the yandere type and decapitates the both of you.]**

Stupid good for nothing dragon…

I watched helplessly as the door swung open in slow motion, revealing Asia dressed in her P.E. clothes. At first, she didn't seem to register what was happening which was a relief, until Rias turned around faced Asia with a smirk on her face.

"My, Asia, good morning to you. Do you mind if Saya and I do a bit of personal training this morning?"

"I… I…" Asia's face turned as red as a tomato as she finally realized what she was seeing. "I-I'm joining too!"

Wait, what? The former nun practically ripped her clothes right off before leaping onto the bed with Rias and I still on it.

In the end, I was saved by my mother when she decided to see what all the commotion was about so early in the morning. I honestly don't know whether to feel relieved at that or to be extremely embarrassed. Maybe I'll just stay in between.

And now? Now, she's betrayed me by showing embarrassing pictures of me to everyone from when I was a child. Okay, maybe they weren't too bad, but acting as a kid during that time when I'm actually a four hundred year old woman is pretty unbearable. I swear, the things kids do sometimes are really stupid.

Well at least Rias and Asia seem to be enjoying it if the literal stars in their eyes were of any indication.

Oh whatever, I'll just catch up with my logs in the meantime. I took a seat at the dining room table before taking out a blue notebook and a pink mechanical pencil in the shape of a magic wand. Flipping past the entry on griffins, I began recording the chaotic events that passed last night and this morning. There really wasn't any meaning to do me doing this since nobody but me was going to read them, but it was something that I had taken a liking to after I recorded my journey to the end of the world in the Travel Journal.

I stopped mid-entry and inspected both of my hands. I had only sacrificed my arms up to their elbows in order to get the ability to use Balance Breaker, and to use Clarent, but it was still slightly crippling. If Rias and Akeno didn't perform that ritual, I would've had to still have kept up the illusion spell on my arms, and I would've had to continue struggling to try to hold a pencil with an overpowered, scaly hand.

"Hey, Saya," Yumi called out to me as she walked into the room. She seems to be staring intently at one of the pictures in a photo album.

"This picture, do you remember this?" She asked while pointing at the photo she was looking at.

Huh, that's Irina. I remember that she was one of the few real friends I had in this world, only because I helped her fight off a gang of bullies. Except, Yumi wasn't pointing to her, or me, but at the sword that was hanging over the fireplace. It was a holy sword, but I was never told what it exactly was. The Shidous' were Christian, and if I remember correctly, Irina's parents were both closely affiliated with the church. Not knowing where this was going, I simply nodded at Yumi's question.

Her expression immediately grew dark at my response as she continued staring at the sword. "I see. To think that I'd see one here of all places."

What is that supposed to mean? Does she have a grudge against holy swords? Before I can ask what she was talking about, she headed back towards the others who were all gathered around my dear mother who was showing them my baby pictures.

This was going to be a long day…

* * *

"A ball tournament, huh? Looks like it's that time of year again."

Ugh… Having to wear a beret under the sun like this is unbearable, but it's a lot easier to hide my ears like this than using magic. The ORC were gathered in the courtyard all dressed in our P.E. uniforms and each of us was carrying a bat along with a catcher's mitt.

"Um… What is this ball tournament?" Asia turned to Rias and asked.

"Of course. It's a school wide event that all the clubs participate in a tournament in random game that will be announced on the day of the competition."

I never really bothered attending this event since I didn't join any clubs before, but now that I actually have a good idea of what it is, it seems like a pretty dumb event. Considering that there are so many ball related games in the world, picking a random one out of all of them and telling the non-athletic and athletic clubs to participate in it together is really not well thought out.

So, Rias, being the competitive person she is, decided that we were going to train our butts off in all of the games, starting with baseball. Running bases and catching the ball shouldn't be a problem for me, but I need to be careful that I don't move too fast that I end up drawing in needless attention.

Meanwhile, it seems like Asia's having quite a bit of trouble catching the ball. This kind of peaceful scene, is exactly the kind of thing I want to see everywhere. But… I don't belong here. I took someone's place in this world, and robbed them of their chance of happiness. A feeling of guilt and melancholy washes over me at that thought. Once I'm done here, everyone will forget me, and it'll be like I never even existed in this world.

No, I can't think like that! As long as I can make people happy, then everything will be fine. Returning my attention back to practice, I noticed that Asia had finished her round looking dejected and that Yumi was now the one catching. As always, she was dressed in a male uniform as opposed to a female one. A sharp crack sounded out through the field as Rias sent another ball flying up high in the air. Wait, why isn't she moving?

"Yumi, look out!" My warning went unheard, as Yumi continued standing there with a blank look on her face.

I winced as the ball came flying back down to the ground and struck her right on her head. Devils may be more hardy than regular humans, but that still looked like it had hurt.

"What are you doing, Yumi? You've been acting strangely recently," Rias pointed out. She's right. For the whole day ever since yesterday she's been lost in her thoughts. It must have something to do with the picture she saw which means she has some kind of vendetta against holy swords.

Meanwhile, Yumi just laughed off her blunder and apologized.

Rias sighed, and shook her head. "Well, we might as well take a break for now."

I watched as she went off to sit on a nearby bench before taking out a book on… um… ok. Clearing my throat and quickly glancing away, I decided that maybe I should install a lock and chain up my door at night from now on. Then again, that probably wouldn't stop her from invading my room.

"Ufufu. Buchou has certainly taken a liking to those kinds of books lately. I wonder why."

I nearly did a spit take as I heard Akeno's teasing voice come from right beside me. Of course. If Rias is being so open about that kind of stuff then of course Akeno would find out. Maybe I should have a talk with her later.

After a short rest, we continued with our special club activities until the end of the day. Might as well enjoy the peace as it lasts. I can feel the storm coming soon. With my win against Riser, more and more people are going to start paying attention to me, and that includes the Vanishing Dragon. Soon enough, something big is going to happen, and I probably won't have any time to have fun like this.

* * *

The rumors and whispering never stop, huh? They've only started to get more and more crazy ever since I joined the Occult Research Club, and it doesn't help that all the male students are the ones spreading them. Something about the ORC being a forbidden garden of flowers and stuff. So, here we were Asia and me, walking through the hallways to get to the old school building.

"Um… Saya?" My companion called out timidly.

"Hm? What's up, Asia"

"What is your relationship with Buchou?"

Ah… There it is. The one question I was dreading to answer. I guess… technically we could be considered lovers, but I can't exactly say that in front of Asia, huh. Going to have to make up an excuse, and fast.

"Er… Well, we're friends."

"Hm..?" Asia stepped in front of me, stood on her toes, and leaned up into my face with an adorable pout. Ugh… Don't look at me like that, it'll make me feel bad. "Then what was the other morning about?"

"Haha… that was… well… how do I put it…"

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. What do I do? What do I say? My mind whirled trying to figure out some sort of reason as to why Rias and I were in that compromising position. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but then again, she might find out later if I lie. Maybe, the truth is the right choice. Yes, it's better than her finding out later and getting hurt.

"Asia," I started after taking a deep breath. "Ria- Buchou and I are… Um, we're a lot closer to each other than before."

Immediately after I said that, Asia immediately began tearing up. "I knew it! You and Buchou are like that!"

All around us, students began to gather at the commotion, and many of them stopped in the middle of what they were doing when they heard Asia shout that. This really isn't good. Quickly trying to diffuse the situation, I brought Asia into my arms and gently stroked the top of her head. It's already come this far, and my reputation doesn't actually matter too much so I might as well try to smooth talk my way out of this.

"Don't worry, Asia. Even though Rias is important to me, you're just as important. That will never change no matter what, and I will definitely go to hell and back to save you if you're ever in trouble."

Sorry Asia, but at the rate things are going right now, and according to Ddraig, a harem seems to be unavoidable. And if that is the case, then I might as well make the most of it and try to make everybody happy. A harem, huh? That will definitely be a new experience. One that I'm not sure if it's going to be a good thing.

As Asia began to calm down, I planted a soft kiss on her forehead before pulling away. Looks like everything's going to be fine now. The rumors are only going to strengthen now, but it's not like it'll matter too much.

Asia's reaction to my chaste kiss was slightly amusing as her entire face turned bright red before she frantically began mumbling to herself about having unholy thoughts. Looks like her upbringing as a holy maiden hasn't really faded away yet.

Finally, we reached the club room without much more of a hassle, except that Asia was blushing the entire way there.

"Hey, everyone, sorry we're late," I said as I opened the door and stepped into the room.

Hm? There were two extra people present here. Wait, that short bob cut and glasses could only belong to one person.

"Kaichou?"

"Ah, there you two are," Rias smiled and stood up before moving to the other girl's side. "As you may already know, this is Shitori Souna, the student council president."

Shitori Souna. I have to say, using a fake name like that is pretty smart, but at the same time, couldn't you have picked something less obvious? It's bit too easy to put two and two together and see that she's actually part of the Sitri clan. If I had to guess, she'd be the heir, like Rias.

Kaichou pushed up her glasses before doing a short bow, "It's very nice to meet you two. I've heard many great things about you from Rias."

"Ah, i-it's nice to meet you too!" Asia said and bowed.

I simply smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's nice to meet you, Kaichou. If I had to wager a guess, I'd say you're here because you're a Devil as well, right? And if I were to go even further, I'd say that the whole student council is your peerage."

The raven-haired girl's eyes widened slightly at my observation before coughing into her hand and nodding. "You are correct, although I am surprised. I had assumed that Rias didn't tell you about us."

"She didn't, but the fact that you seem to be close friends with Rias, and your last name sounds like Sitri, kind of gave it away."

"Interesting. I'm almost regretting not recruiting you when I had the chance. Now," Kaichou turned to the other new face in the room, a guy with blonde hair and grey eyes, and began to introduce him. "This is a second year Genshirou Saji, the student council's secretary, and my Pawn."

Saji stepped up and stopped in front me while glaring at me. "Hmph. I know what you're trying to do, Hyoudou, and I won't allow that to happen!"

What? What's he talking about? And why's he angry at me?

"Um… sorry if I wronged you in some way, Saji, but what do you mean?"

The boy took a brief glance at Kaichou before leaning down and whispering to me, "I've heard the rumors about you being a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I won't let you steal Sona away from me!"

Oh, I see… This guy's heads over heals for the Kaichou, and he thinks I'm gunning for her.

"Look, Saji, right? She can choose who she falls in love with, but it's up to you to make sure that she falls for you. So don't hesitate and do what you need to do."

"Wh-wha-?"

Saji looked shocked at my sudden advice, and grew quiet. After some time of seemingly deep contemplation, he held out his hand with a fierce fire of determination burning behind his eyes.

"Yes! I will take your advice to heart, Shishou!"

Er, right. My charisma skill may be pretty decent, but this is kind of stupid how easily that worked. Guess I rolled high enough to pass that charisma check. Nonetheless, I took his hand and we shook.

"Well, it seems like you two are going to get along great, but we've finished our introductions so we must get back to work," the Sitri heir stated as she started dragging Saji to the doorway by the collar. "Rias, I'll be looking forward to the ball tournament."

And with that, she's gone.

"Asia, Saya. Make sure you two get along with the student council members, ok? Having bad relations with other Devils who work in the same area as us will damage our reputation after all," Rias said

""Right,"" both Asia and I nodded in acknowledgment.

* * *

"Uuuoooohhh! Kaichou, fiiiiggght!"

"Riaaaaaaasss! You're the beeesssst!"

"I want to grope your booooooobs!"

Well, that was certainly uncalled for. But with the cult following Rias has, I suppose it's inevitable. These tennis uniforms are also a bit… short. Are they normally supposed to be this short? I gently pulled down on the skirt slightly to try to cover a bit more of my legs. Sighing when I had no luck, I bent my knees and glanced back at Rias who was tossing the tennis ball up into the air and catching it again and again. I nodded to show that I was ready before I turned my attention to our opponents in front of us, Sona Sitri, and Shinra Tsubaki. To be honest, I never really wanted to have any part in this match, but my stupid luck stat caused me to win our little game of rock-paper-scissors. So here I am, stuck playing in this doubles tennis match for the tournament.

"Here I come, Sona!" Rias called out.

A second later, a thwack sounded out and I saw the ball go flying towards Kaichou.

"Take this! Shitori-style spin ball!"

As Kaichou returned the ball, I began running to the direction the trajectory of the ball was supposed to take, but to my surprise, the instant I tried to hit it back, it suddenly changed directions and swerved under my racket.

"Don't worry, Saya! Taste the Gremory-style counter!"

I breathed a sigh of relief as Rias successfully managed to hit the ball back over to the other side at a breakneck speed. So we're using our powers for this? What happened to low profile?

"Weak!"

The vice-president, Tsubaki, immediately dove for the high-speed ball and returned it. However, because the ball was travelling so fast, it seems like she didn't have enough time to properly angle her hit since the ball was launched high up in the air.

Looks like this is a chance. I leapt up and followed the ball before smashing it back down to the other side of the court, and to my satisfaction, the ref called the point.

I took a deep breath after I landed and let a confident smile slip onto my face. At the rate this was going, we could probably win this.

Well, that is, until all of our rackets broke. With that sort of conclusion, the ref had to call a draw so nobody won. Seems like we all forgot about the huge crowd watching us and just went all out in the game. I swear, with the amount of demonic power everyone was putting into those shots, I'm surprised that someone didn't die.

But, let's put that to the side for now. The real tournament starts now with a good old fashioned game of dodge ball.

"Everyone, make sure you put your all into this, alright?"

""Oh!""

As we rallied ourselves up for the upcoming game, I found myself trying to think back to the last time I had this much fun with a group of friends. I looked at the red and black armbands I had in my hand with the letterings "O.R.C" stitched onto them. It seems like my subconscious immediately went back to thinking of them when I decided to make these. In a way, the Occult Research Club is somewhat similar to S.E.E.S.

I shook my head and brought myself out of my thoughts. This isn't the time to be reminiscing.

"Hey, guys," I called out to get everybody's attention while I held out the armbands. "I made these for everyone so we can feel more unified as a team."

As the others each took one for themselves and began studying it, Rias commented, "These are rather well made. Is this another one of the skills you honed throughout your lives?"

"Well, a girl has to find some way to pass the time over four hundred years."

"Ufufu, well this indeed make us seem more like a team, doesn't it?" Akeno giggled.

With that done with, and with everyone wearing an armband, we took our positions and waited for the game to start. Seems like we're going against the male baseball team first. Although… it really doesn't seem like they're going to put up much of a fight. They looked like they were extremely hesitant at trying to hit any of us. I guess, from their point of view, they are going against the so-called "Forbidden Garden of Maidens".

And a fast game it was. It took a minute flat before all of the opposition was eliminated, but there were a couple of times where I had to protect Yumi from getting hit. The same pattern continued for the rest of the matches we faced off in. This certainly wasn't normal for her. Was her hate for holy swords really so bad that even one glance at one throws her off for days? I'm just glad she didn't realize Clarent was a holy sword, then. In the first place, no one would expect a black and red sword with evil tumors growing off of it to be holy.

After the games, Rias told Yumi to follow her outside as the rest of us went to the dressing room to wind down.

"Hey, Akeno. Do you know what's going on with Yumi?" I asked.

Her eyes darkened for a second before her face returned to her usual smile. "I do, but I think you should have Buchou tell you instead."

Huh… Just like that time with Riser. Maybe I should just leave her alone for a while. Even if she hates holy swords for some reason, it's not like she'd be able to do anything. I'm sure this will blow over in a couple of days, but eventually, she'll have to face that hatred and overcome it. When that time arrives, I'll – no – we'll all be there to support her.

Deciding to go grab some fresh air, I exited the changing room and went out a side door with Asia in tow. When I got outside, I heard a loud crack and saw Rias with her rand raised, standing in front of Yumi who was rubbing her cheek.

"My apologies, Buchou, but it seems like I wasn't feeling too well today. If there's nothing else, I would like to excuse myself for now," the blonde-haired girl stated with a plastic smile.

I watched along with Asia as she stalked off in the rain before walking up to Rias.

"Are you sure it's fine to just let her go like that?" I asked.

Rias sighed and put a hand over her face. "I'm afraid that there's not much we can do when Yuumi is like this."

"Buchou, why is Yuumi like this all of a sudden?" Asia asked.

A complicated look flashed over Rias' face as she stared off in the direction of Yuumi's retreating figure. "Let's return home first. I'll tell you her story there."

Right… I've seen where this path of revenge can lead a person, and more often than not, it doesn't end well. If Yuumi really does hold such an intense grudge against holy swords then it'll just be all the worst because she'd do anything in order to get that closure. Of course, I'm not going to let her do this alone. Revenge is important, without a doubt. Otherwise, the phantom pain of living with those thoughts will eventually destroy you. Yuumi will get her closure, and no matter how much she tries to push us away, we'll push back twice as hard. That's what having a comrade means, after all.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (D-)

 **Endurance:** D+ (D)

 **Agility:** B (C)

 **Magic:** E

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Nebula, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Kunitsuna, Muramasa [Unusable], Parchment of Omniscience

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (C) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.


	10. Afterstory 1 (Chapter 9point5)

**WARNING:** Inexperienced lemon ahead. There's absolutely no story progression here so it's fine if you skip it.

 **AN:** Well now, here it is. Don't know what else to say. Just so everybody knows, there's basically no story here. Just pure, sweet, tasty, lemonade. Also, fluff. Once again, if you don't want to read this, it's fine to skip it.

* * *

I was thoroughly exhausted by the time the ritual for suppressing my arms finished. Dealing with both Akeno and Buchou's teasing was incredibly tiring. Though… who would've thought that the way to temporarily return my arms back to normal was to suck it out with their mouths…

"Hah…" I let out a content sigh as I flopped down onto my bed. I hadn't even bothered taking my dress off. A knock on my door drew me out of my half-slumber.

Sighing, I slowly picked myself up and trudged to the door before opening it.

"Buchou?"

The person standing outside the door is none other than Buchou dressed in a nightgown.

"Do you mind if I come in?" She asked.

I shook my head and opened the door fully to let her in. "Sure, come in."

After she walked inside, I closed the door behind her and joined Buchou who was sitting on the bed.

"So, did you need something?" I asked with a tired smile.

"Yes, well, I wanted to thank you, for helping me," Buchou answered shyly.

I placed my hands over hers and looked directly into her eyes. "You don't need to do that. Just seeing you happy is enough for me."

"Saya…"

Before I could react, Buchou pushed me down onto the bed and forced her mouth onto mine. I let out an involuntary gasp of surprise and she took that chance to slip her tongue into my mouth. The initial attack caught me off guard, but I was determined not to be beaten. The movements of her tongue in my mouth were passionate, but inexperienced, and I quickly took the lead. A moan originated from the back of Buchou's throat as my tongue danced and probed at the inside of her mouth. Our tongues intertwined as the kiss grew deeper, and deeper. The intoxicating feeling of pleasure was beginning to cloud my mind. Eventually, we broke off as we were beginning to run out of air. A string of saliva ran from our open mouths.

"That… was…" Buchou managed to say in between gasps of air.

I was in no better condition as I was trying to catch my breath too, but I managed to give a playful smirk. "Amazing?"

My master nodded. Her face was flushed red, and the moonlight streaming through the window made her seem all the more bewitching. I could feel my hands unconsciously wrap around her and pull her closer.

"Saya… I want you," Buchou breathed.

I hesitated slightly before asking, "Are you sure you're okay with me?"

"Yes," Buchou answered firmly. "I don't want anyone except you."

I couldn't bear it anymore. Being this close to her was driving me wild. Buchou squeaked as I flipped her over onto her back. My hands began running along, and caressing her body as I gently nibbled on the shell of her ear. She mewled softly at the contact. Slowly, taking off the silk gown she was wearing, I continued to plant soft kisses to her ears and her neck.

"Beautiful," I whispered.

Buchou glanced away bashfully at my compliment, and I took the chance to take one of her breasts into my hand. She gasped at the contact, and continued to let out a chorus of moans at my caresses. Gazing into each other's eyes, we kissed once again. My other hand slowly traced a line down her stomach to in between her legs and gently pinched her clitoris.

"Ah! S-Saya!" Buchou broke off from the kiss and let out an especially loud moan as my fingers slid across the entrance to her vagina.

I lowered my head, and took one of her erect nipples into my mouth and began swirling my tongue around the tip, as my other hands kept up their own work.

Buchou's moans of pleasure grew louder and more desperate as she cried out my name. More, I want to hear more of your voice. I slid a pair of fingers into her wet entrance, eliciting a surprised squeak from my partner. Probing my fingers around inside the tight opening, I tried to find my master's most sensitive part.

"Hyah!"

There it is! I pressed my two fingers into the area that just made Buchou cry out. More, more, let hear more. Buchou's moans grew louder and louder, until finally, she arched her back and wrapped her legs around me. At the same time, her body shook and trembled as she climaxed.

I waited for Buchou's body to stop twitching, before I took out my fingers and held them in front of my face.

"Uwah… their soaked…"

Sticking the digits into my mouth, I savored the taste of Buchou's honey before licking them clean.

"That… hah… felt… incredible…"

I turned towards my master who was lying on the bed, panting and gasping. Giggling, I lay down next to her, and gently stroked her hair.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was kind of worried that I might've lost my touch," I replied to her comment.

"Now, it's your turn to feel good, Saya."

The moment I heard Buchou say that, she was already on top of me. Well, she sure recovered fast.

Smiling nervously I shook my head. "It's fine. Just being able to make you happy is enough for me."

"Oh?" Buchou grinned dangerously. "So you can dish it out, but you can't take it? This is supposed to be my thank you gift, after all."

"B-but-"

"No buts! Just think of this as an order from me."

Right… Relenting, I silently nodded my head. I didn't resist when Buchou took off my dress, unhooked my bra, and pulled down my panties. After that, she began rubbing the tips of my nipples with her fingers. A shock of pleasure ran through my body at her touch.

"Nn..!"

Biting down on my lip, I barely managed to suppress the moan that was about to escape my mouth. My body's way too sensitive right now! Has it really been that long since the last time I had sex?

"Come on, Saya. There's no need to hold back your voice. I cast a spell over this room earlier that keeps all the sound isolated in here, so let me hear your cute voice," Buchou coaxed.

She prepared for this?!

"Hyaun!" I cried out as I felt one of Buchou's hands roam down my body and start stroking my tail. "S-stop that! My tail is..!"

"Hmmm? Your tail is what?" Buchou teased.

"I-it's sensitive…"

"My, to think that the one with all the experience is the more submissive type," she whispered as she blew into my ear. "But that's completely fine with me."

Ah… oh no… I can't hold it in anymore..! No way! This is too fast! Coming! It's coming..!

"Buchou, I can't..!"

My mind went blank as my body quivered and shook with violent waves of pleasure coursing through my body. It felt like my body was melting into Buchou's arms. As the effects of the orgasm began to dissipate, I was left limp, and out of breath. I couldn't move my limbs at all.

"That felt… way too good…" I wheezed.

Buchou giggled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, but it's not over yet."

Wait, what?

Once again, Buchou began feathering her hands all across my body, sending small shivers of pleasure down my spine.

"W-wait, wait, wait! I'm still recovering!" I tried to reason.

"Nope," Buchou teasingly put a finger to my mouth. "The night is still young, and I still haven't had my fill of your cute voice yet.

And so, our "special club activities" continued well into the night. Thankfully, Buchou had put up that sound barrier, or otherwise we would've woken up the entire city.

Ah… Dear Satan. I don't think I'll be able to keep this up.


	11. The Holy Sword's Lullaby 1

**AN:** This will most likely be my last major release for a while, at least until after finals are over. So thank to to everyone who has stuck with me until this point. Don't be worried if I completely disappear for a couple of weeks. If ever I do choose to abandon this story, I'll make sure to make an announcement. So for now, this will be on a short hiatus. I might release some different things here and there to keep people occupied if I have the free time. With that out of the way, please enjoy.

* * *

Why is it that in every world I've been to, the so-called holy church always has these crazy zealots. I'm referencing to the Holy Sword Project that Yumi is a survivor from. According to Rias, the experiment was done by a shady priest or something that wanted to create holy sword users. Apparently, a person has to have an affinity with holy swords in order to use one. The whole project ended in a failure since the guy who oversaw the project murdered all of the test subjects that couldn't properly adapt to using the holy swords.

Now that I understood why Yumi held such a hatred for the things, I could combat it. There was a certain sword, the Excalibur, that she hated the most. And it just so happens that I actually have the sword in my arsenal. Granted, it may not exactly be the same one that's in this world, but it should still count for something, right? If I can get together a plan where Yumi can fight and destroy that Excalibur, then she might find some sort of closure.

 **[You sure about that idea, partner? Now that you can use Clarent, it probably won't be too long before you can use Excalibur too. Are you really fine with parting with such a powerful tool?]**

" _I still have plenty of other weapons I can use. One or two legendary weapons destroyed won't be any skin off my back."_

 **[Hahahaha!]** Ddraig roared with laughter. **[You're certainly a strange one, partner. I have to say, you're definitely the most interesting host I've ever had.]**

" _And you're definitely the friendliest dragon I've ever met."_

 **[You know, with you're kind of power, you could destroy whole worlds without batting an eyelid, and yet, you don't use any of it. Why?]**

" _Where's the fun in that? Besides, I want to see all the wonders these different worlds hold. Even if I have to face hardships, my spirit for adventures will never die."_

 **[Hm… That's a good enough reason I guess. From what you've told me, there's an infinite number of worlds out there for you to see, huh?]**

" _Yep. A whole universe to explore for an eternity."_

I raised my hand up to the night sky reached towards the moon. Small scales began forming under the skin while my fingers elongated and curved slightly. Looks like I'm going to have to have Akeno do that procedure again. I wonder if that's really the only way for my hands to stay normal.

* * *

"Ufufu. You look nervous, Saya," Akeno giggled as she licked her lips.

How could I not be when you're dressed like that?

Was what I wanted to say, but I just decided to keep my mouth shut. As long as I don't react to her advances, she won't have any ammunition against me. Right?

"The silent treatment? You've gotten so close to Buchou recently that I've started to get jealous, you know."

"Just… hurry it up, ok?" I pleaded as I desperately tried to stay calm.

"Ara? There's no need to rush. Let's take our time, shall we?"

She slowly let her hair down and crawled on her knees towards me. Every single one of her movements was carefully measured out to make me more and more uncomfortable. I could tell she was enjoying every second of this. Akeno gently took one of my hands before bringing it up to her mouth and started to suck on one of my fingers.

I bit down on my lip as soon as my finger entered her mouth to keep myself from making any involuntary noises. A tingling feeling ran through my arm and through my body as I felt Akeno's tongue run skillfully along the length of my fingers and in between them. There was really no need for her to add in all this extra work…

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Akeno let go of my hand and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ufufu. Don't tell me you're done already? There's still a lot more to go, you know?"

Ugh… not good. My breath had unconsciously gotten more ragged and my head was starting to go blank.

"You're enjoying yourself a little too much, don't you think?" I asked while trying to put on a confident smirk.

"Yes. Although, it seems I'm not the only one enjoying this, hm?" Akeno replied with a wink.

Dammit! Why can't I beat her?

Next, Akeno took my other arm in her hands and brought it up to her lips. She gave the tips of my fingers a short, chaste kiss, before slowly working her tongue up and down the individual digits. Once that was done, she took a few of my fingers into her mouth and began to gently suck on them. The tingling feeling that ran through my body before returned as she slid her mouth along the lengths of my fingers, making sure that every last inch of them was drenched in her saliva.

When she finally pulled away and finished the ritual, I was as a blushing mess trying to catch my breath.

"Ara, if you give me such a longing look, I won't be able to hold myself back, Saya," Akeno whispered as she pushed me down.

"A-Akeno! What are you-?!"

She placed finger over my lips before pushing her body against mine.

"I found myself being attracted to you the more I learned about you, and it only grew stronger when I saw how far you were willing to go to protect Buchou. I'm slightly disappointed that Buchou got to you first, but that shouldn't matter, right?"

The girl on top of me seemed so bewitching right now, more so than usual. She looked so beautiful. Her milky, smooth skin, her soft, silky hair, and her eyes. Her eyes held a predatory glint in them, but it was also somewhat loving.

"What do you say, Saya?" Akeno breathed. "Will you have an affair with me?"

My head was spinning and I could barely think straight. It really was taking all the willpower I could muster to not let go of reason and throw myself on her.

Hearing no response from me, Akeno decided to continue to try to coerce me. "Nobody will have to know. Not Buchou. Not Asia. It'll just be our little secret."

Maybe… If it's just between us… No! No, no, no, no! I can't think like that! Focus! Slow breaths. Calm down. In, out. Breathe deep, slow the heartbeat. Slowly, I felt my mind beginning to clear.

Just as I was about to reject Akeno's offer, I felt a sudden chill run down my back.

"A-ke-noooo…"

That voice…

I'm going to die, aren't I?

I didn't have to, but I took a glance over Akeno's shoulder to see Rias standing at the open doorway with an immense "I'm going to kill you unless you explain to me what the hell is going on here" aura around her.

Akeno got off of me with a disappointed sigh, and turned to face Rias who stepped into the room.

"Ara, Buchou. Good evening," Akeno greeted as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Rias narrowed her eyes in suspicion and crossed her arms. "Don't you good evening me, Akeno. Just what were you doing with Saya?"

"Why, the suppression ritual of course."

"Oh? It sure seemed like you were doing a lot more than just that."

"Ufufufu. You aren't suggesting that I was going to go further than that, are you?" Akeno asked with a smile.

"Well if you were, I don't think I should tell you that I've already claimed Saya, right?"

"Ara, ara, Buchou. It's not fair to keep such a wonderful flower all to yourself, you know?"

This isn't good. If this keeps up, I could get caught in the crossfire of this war. As the two were silently staring each other down, I quickly moved to put my clothes back on, but before I could get more than two steps to the doorway, Rias called out to me.

"Saya!"

I froze mid step before slowly turning around to face Rias. "Y-yes, ma'am?"

She stomped up to me and began pulling on my ears. "You were enjoying yourself quite a bit back there weren't you?

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow! N-No! I wasn't!" I frantically tried to calm Rias down. "Th-They're gonna tear! You're going to tear my ears off!"

"Hmph!" She let go of my ears, before giving an adorable pout and storming off. "Do as you like, idiot!"

When she left the room, Akeno immediately began giggling. "Buchou certainly is cute when she's jealous, don't you think, Saya?"

"Huh?" I turned to Akeno with a questioning look while nursing my sore ears.

"It seems like I have nothing to worry about. Ufufu."

Eh? Wait… that whole time… was she just testing me?

"Ugh… Whatever! I'm going home!" I announced with a huff as I grabbed my bag and headed out of the room.

* * *

After I met up with Asia, we started on our way home while making small talk. I couldn't help but still worry about how her school life was going. Guess I'm just the overprotective older sister type, huh?

When we neared our house, Ddraig suddenly spoke up and interrupted the conversation I was having with Asia.

 **[Partner. There's something here. Feels like exorcists.]**

Exorcists?

" _Are you sure, Ddraig?"_

 **[Positive.]**

Could they be waiting to ambush us? But they should know that we can sense them, right? They also wouldn't take my mother hostage. It's not in their code to involve the unknowing masses, unless they're a stray.

"Asia, hold up," I told the former nun as I carefully approached the door.

"Saya?" Asia looked questioningly at me. "What's wrong?"

Ignoring her question, I sniffed the air. No blood. That means nobody's hurt. But I still can't be careless.

"Um… Saya?"

Turning back to Asia, I said, "There are exorcists here. I don't know why, but we have to be careful."

Fear invaded her eyes before I patted her head reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'm positive they didn't hurt mom. Now, make sure you stay behind me."

I reached into my Vault and drew out a plain dagger. Slowly opening the door, I sniffed air once more. There were three people in the living room. One was my mother, the other two were unfamiliar.

This was a bit of a gamble, but I had to be sure.

Taking a deep breath, I called out. "We're home!"

"Ah, welcome back!" My mother replied back. "Come into the living room. We have some guests over."

She didn't sound like she was being threatened. In fact, she sounded like how she normally sounded.

I palmed the dagger and slid it up my sleeve as I walked around the corner into the living room. There I saw my mother sitting on one of the couches while two girls sat opposite of her, drinking tea. They were dressed in cloaks and there was a giant bundled up package of some sort sitting beside the blue-haired girl. There was something off about the brunette with twintails, though. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but ever since I was outside, I could feel that something was strange. And it's not because they're exorcists.

"Good afternoon there, Saya," the exorcist that gave me strange vibes greeted with a wave and a smile.

There's that feeling again. I just can't shake it off. It's not danger. Just… What is this? Graaah! I'm getting so frustrated

"Yes, um… good afternoon to you too," I replied with a wary smile.

"Hm? You don't recognize me?"

Recognize… recognize… smell… That's right! I recognize her scent! No way. It couldn't be...

"Irina, is that you?"

The girl giggled and nodded. "Yep! It's me! Been a while, huh, Saya? It seems a lot has happened since I left."

There was a slight hostile undertone to that last statement. Of course. She's an exorcist now so she's been taught to despise Devils. My attention shifted to the other exorcist who had stood up and was now gripping the large wrapped object. It emitted the same holy energy Clarent did, but in much larger amounts even through the wrapping. I can only assume that even contact with that sword would destroy a Devil.

"Welp," Irina stood up and walked up beside her partner before turning to us. "Xenovia and I should be going now. It was nice stopping by after so long."

"Oh, you're not staying for dinner? You're welcome to stay longer," my mother offered.

"It's alright. We need to get going, now. I'll make sure to come visit later, though."

With that, Irina left the house. The blue-haired girl, however, turned around and glared at Asia and me. "Come at me anytime. I'll be ready for you."

And they're gone. I released the breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding. That object, most likely a holy sword, was extremely dangerous.

Seconds later, Rias came bursting through the door.

"Saya! Asia! Are you two alright?!"

Before I could say anything to calm her down, she grabbed the both of us and squished us into her chest.

"B-Buchou!" Asia squeaked.

"We're fine, Rias. They wouldn't have done anything with my mom there," I said, my voice muffled by the mound of flesh in my face.

"I'm so sorry you two. I shouldn't have left you two alone," Rias apologized. "I knew about there being people from the church infiltrating the city, but I didn't even bother to warn you two."

"What? Infiltrations?"

"Yes. Recently, a priest that was visiting the city was murdered so they must've been sent here to investigate."

A murder? I sighed. Looks like our days of peace will always be short-lived, won't they?

* * *

The whole room was tense. The two exorcists whom we made contact with yesterday were now sitting in the clubroom, facing Rias and Akeno. Every one of us made an effort to try to hide our unease, but Yumi let her hate and rage show openly on her face. It seemed like she was just barely holding back from jumping at them, and slitting their throats.

After a while, Irina cleared her throat and spoke up. "Three fragments of the Holy Sword Excalibur were stolen the other day while they were under the churches' care."

Fragments? This world's Excalibur was broken?

"Excuse me, but what do you mean by fragments?" I asked.

"The Excalibur was broken a long time ago and it was turned into seven different swords through the use of alchemy," Irina explained.

Her blue-haired partner stepped up and unwrapped the sword she was holding. "This is one of the fragments, Excalibur Destruction."

It certainly is massive… and the holy energy that radiated from it was sickening.

"And this here is…" Irina said as she unwound a cord around her arm. The cord began binding and twisting on itself until it formed into an unassuming katana. "Excalibur Mimic. Isn't it convenient how it can change its shape?"

I see… so the Excaliburs now all have an extra name slapped onto the end that describes its abilities. If that's the case, Excalibur Destruction probably means it destroys anything it touches.

Yumi, meanwhile, was exuding killing intent. Her entire frame was shaking with rage. Looks like I need to be ready to stop her if I need to.

Rias cleared her throat. "So, what is it that you need from us?"

Both exorcists returned their weapons to their original states before Irina spoke. "We've received information that the Excaliburs that were stolen were brought to Japan."

"The one who stole it is one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels, Kokabiel," Xenovia added.

"Kokabiel?! If someone that powerful stole them then…" Rias trailed off.

"Yes," Xenovia nodded. "He took out a retrieval team we dispatched earlier, so that brings us to our request. Please, keep your head out of this business. No matter what may happen between the church and the Grigori, the Devils should not be involved."

"Hoh? And what if we were to ally ourselves with the Fallen Angels?" Rias suggested.

"The church has taken proper measures in case that should happen," Xenovia replied.

Rias crossed her arms and sat back in her seat. "Well, on the honor of the Gremory name, we will not ally with the Fallen Angels."

"We're not looking for your help. We don't need it."

"So you're saying that the two of you will be enough to take bake three Excaliburs from Kokabiel?"

"Of course. The only thing that can combat an Excalibur is another Excalibur. It was for that reason why we were sent here. Even if we can't recover them, destroying them should be enough."

"Such confidence," Rias commented. "Do you have some sort of plan?"

"I'll leave that up to your imagination," Xenovia concluded as she stood up. "Come, Irina, we're going."

"Oh? You won't have any tea?" Akeno asked as she held up a tray with cups filled with tea.

"No need." Xenovia completely blew off the offer and instead opted to walk up to Asia and I. She glanced at me briefly before looking down at Asia's form. "I thought I had recognized you earlier. You are the witch, Asia Argento, are you not? Hmph. To think that you were once a Holy Maiden."

"I know, right? Who would've thought that you would've become a Devil?" Irina added as she sauntered up next to Xenovia. "Just think about the uproar it would cause back home if they found out."

Asia's eyes grew sadder and sadder as the two exorcists continued to berate and slander her. Is this really how the church taught their exorcists? My fists balled involuntarily. Even if she was a good friend at some point, I won't stand for her saying those kinds of things when she doesn't even know about Asia's situation!

"Tell me, witch. Do you still believe in God?" Xenovia asked.

Asia hesitated before timidly answering, "Yes… I do. I grew up believing, and I just can't let it go…"

"I see. In that case," Xenovia drew her Excalibur once again and brandished it. "I will kill you in the name of God. I'm sure that he will forgive even you for your transgressions."

That's… No more. Asia doesn't deserve this. I stepped in front of the blue-haired exorcist, reared back my hand, and slapped her across the face. The sharp crack of my palm hitting her cheek resonated throughout the room as everybody fell silent and stared at me in shock.

"Stop it," I warned. "You, who doesn't know a single damn thing about her situation, would day say such things about her?"

"I've always tried to keep my feelings about the church neutral," I continued. "I worked for them once, you know. I've experienced what it was like, being a holy knight. The things that I were taught. They weren't to scorn, hate, and ridicule your enemies. It was to love and show mercy to everyone. It was to only kill and shed blood when you are given no other option."

Lowering my hand, I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "We were taught compassion, forgiveness, frugalness. What about you? It seems to me that you were taught that Devils and Fallen Angels are monsters and are to be treated as such. Right?"

"You… How dare you question the teachings of our church? What does a Devil know about faith?" Xenovia pointed her sword at me. "If the witch's faith had not been so weak, then God would've come to save her."

"Well, how about I beat the living daylights out of all of your exorcists and priests and see which ones your god saves?"

"Oh? Is that a challenge? Because I'll gladly accept."

The tension levels rose as sparks began flying in between us. I wanted to stay calm, but the way they spoke to Asia was just too much.

"In that case," Yumi interjected into our stand-off. "Let me join in, too."

* * *

The courtyard. Yumi and I stood facing Xenovia and Irina who had taken off their cloaks and were holding their respective weapons.

"This will be a private duel, and will not affect the standings between the church and the Devils, right?" Xenovia asked for clarification.

"Right." Rias agreed.

I think, maybe, I'll give them a little surprise. Excalibur against Clarent. A duo lost in the pages of history, brought together again in the modern day.

As Yumi grew more and more restless talking with Xenovia and explaining her history, I turned to face Irina, who seemed to be praying.

"Oh Lord, please forgive this foolish friend of mine for her transgressions. She was a pure-hearted princess who was seduced by the Devils of this land and thrown into the depths of darkness. Please, grant me the strength to bring divine judgment to this Devil. Amen!"

I sweat dropped. Was that really necessary? Sighing, I summoned Boosted Gear.

"That's… a Longinus?!" Irina exclaimed.

Opening the Vault to my side, I reached in and grabbed the familiar hilt of the once holy sword. It's once radiant, silver blade, now only shone dully as it was covered in black, grotesque, seemingly organic matter that squirmed, and pulsated like a steady heartbeat.

"What in the world is that..?"

Irina's face paled and it looked like she was about to throw up.

Dropping into a low stance with Clarent held down at my side and the Boosted Gear raised in front of me, I waited for my opponent to make a move. Meanwhile, Yumi had already begun fighting Xenovia, if the frantic clanging of metal clashing was of any indication.

After a second or so more of waiting, Irina decided to rush me.

"Fine, if you won't move then I'll go first!" She shouted as she swung her katana at me.

I moved to block the strike, but the moment the blade started warping and bending, I decided that maybe blocking wasn't such a good idea. Dashing backwards, I just barely avoided a flurry of thin slashes by the weapon.

"Ugh… such an annoying weapon!"

Irina smirked and continued her assault. "Glad you like it, Saya. I trained hard to be able to wield this, you know?"

At this rate, I wouldn't be able to get close. If that's the case… I leapt backwards and put some distance between us. Reaching out to the side, I gripped the handle of a different weapons with my free hand and pulled it out.

It looked like an unassuming chain whip, but that was the point.

 **[EXPLOSION]**

And now… I cracked the whip out towards Irina, but as she dodged to the side, the whip continued to follow her and to grow in length. An instant, later, I had slipped up to her and slashed with Clarent.

Sparks flew as my sword clashed with hers.

"It looks like you've gotten pretty strong, Saya," Irina commented as she grit her teeth and tried to push me back.

"I have my master and Ddraig to thank for that. Without these boosts, I don't think I'd be able to match up to you."

I was slowly gaining ground on her. Pushing, and pushing. Her arms were shaking from the pressure of trying to hold me off. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of her legs snake out and try to sweep me off my feet. I hopped into the air while simultaneously whipping Nebula and wrapping it around Irina's body. Flipping over her and letting go of the whip, I drew another sword from my Vault, and placed both Clarent and the short sword at Irina's neck.

"Checkmate," I stated with a grin.

The brunette gulped, and nodded slightly as the edge of Clarent grazed her neck. Lowering both of my swords, I threw them and Nebula back into the Vault.

"That wasn't bad, Sir Knight. But you're a few hundred years too early to beat me," I smiled and offered her my hand.

"Sir Knight?" She questioned. "I'm surprised you still remember that."

That's right. Back in the day, Irina being the tomboy she was, always wanted to be the gallant knight that saved the princess whenever we would play make believe.

"We're friends, aren't we? Just because a few things changed between us won't change the bond we have together."

Irina cast her eyes downward and rubbed the side of her arm. "It looks like your kindness hasn't changed a bit. You always were quick to jump in and protect your friends. Just like when we first met."

"That's right," I smiled and patted her shoulder. "Just because we're not on the same side doesn't mean we have to be enemies. We're friends so we should stick together."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sure God wouldn't mind me being friends with you. After all we were friends way before you became a Devil!"

Well, that's that sorted out I suppose. I'm glad I was able to patch up my relationship with her. She's a good person, if a little gullible, but her heart is in the right place.

I turned my attention towards Yumi's fight which was still raging on. Shattered swords and craters lay all over the battleground. The Excalibur Destruction really is no joke, huh? Even Clarent probably would've been broken under that kind of destructive power.

Yumi put some distance between herself and Xenovia as she summoned another sword, this time, a large two hander around the size of Xenovia's sword. She's not thinking straight. Her only focus is on destroying the Excalibur right now it seems.

"Fool," Xenovia commented as she crashed her sword against Yumi's, completely shattering it. "A Knight's strength is in their speed. Using a large and cumbersome weapon like that only deprives you of your only strong point."

A look of shock passed through Yumi's face, but was instantly replaced by pain as Xenovia slammed the hilt of her sword into Yumi's stomach. As the Knight fell to the ground coughing and clutching at her stomach, Xenovia calmly returned her Excalibur into its bandages.

"That was a disappointing fight from my senior. I would've expected more out of you," Xenovia said before turning and walking away. "If you don't clear your head, you won't stand a chance against the other Excaliburs."

"Ah, wait for me, Xenovia!" Irina called out as she ran off after her. Looking back, she waved farewell to me before turning around and joining Xenovia.

Yumi… I turned to the girl who was now punching the ground in frustration.

"Saya, are you hurt?"

I turned towards Asia who had ran up to me. Shaking my head, I answered, "No. I'm fine, but you should probably go heal Yumi."

She nodded firmly before jogging up to the still recovering Knight.

Feeling someone tap me on the shoulder, I looked back and saw that it was Rias.

"Saya, do mind if we discuss something?" She asked.

"Sure," I nodded, and followed her off into a secluded area behind a tree.

My master glanced quickly at Yumi who had now staggered to her feet, before she turned to me. "That sword you used just now. It's a holy sword, isn't it?"

"Was," I corrected her. "It was a holy sword."

Rias frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

"That sword you just saw, was Clarent."

"Clarent? You mean..?"

I nodded. "Yes. The very same sword that was used to slay King Arthur."

"That's… To think that a sword such as that could exude so much evil."

"It's because it was stained by malice and ill intent that it took on such a grotesque form," I explained. "But it still holds a shred of holy energy because of how powerful it was."

"You're just full of more and more surprises, aren't you? Normally, holy and demonic energies can't coexist like that, and yet, you own something that shows both."

Puffing out my chest, I grinned and placed my hands on my hips. "Well, there's a lot more where that came from. I have more legendary weapons than you can count! I just have to get stronger to be able to start using them."

"Oh?" Rias looked at me with interest. "Would you care to name some of them?"

"Nope. The charm of a woman comes from the mysteries she holds, does it not? So, the more mysteries I have, the more charming I am."

"Well, I certainly can't argue with that," Rias suddenly grabbed my chin, and planted a quick kiss of my lips. "You've certainly captured my heart with those charms of yours."

She just…

I covered my face with my hands to hide my growing blush. "Ugh… How can you say something so embarrassing with such a straight face?"

Rias giggled and stroked my head. "It helps when I think of the adorable reaction you would have."

Sighing, I let myself fall into her warm embrace. I don't know why, but I just felt so safe when she held me in her arms. My heart was rapidly pounding in my chest, and I could feel hers through her chest. This tight feeling in my chest, combined with familiar comfort I felt whenever I was with her. It was undoubtedly love. Even though she told me I didn't have to return her feelings, I can't help but feel this way. I had for a long time, but it's only grown stronger since then. Yes. I think... I think now is the right time. I'll do it! I'll tell her my feelings!

"Hey, Rias… I… I… um... I… lo-"

All of a sudden, my master let me go and I fell to the ground with a squeak and a thud.

"Wh-What was that for?!" I shouted after her as she ran towards the field where the others were at. It didn't seem like she heard me though, as she kept running towards Yumi's retreating figure.

Once she caught up to and grabbed Yumi, she said something I couldn't quite hear. Yumi's response to it was just to shake Rias off and keep walking.

By the time I had caught up to them, Yumi was gone, and Rias was standing there with a worried look on her face. The mood we had earlier had all but disappeared.

I buried my face into my hands again. I… I can't believe that I was just about to confess to her… Shaking my head, I tried to get my mind off of what just happened. There were more important things to deal with. That's right. My feelings can wait until after I make sure Yumi won't do something stupid and get herself killed.

* * *

"Heeey! Saji, sorry to keep you waiting!" I called out to the student council's secretary as I ran up to him.

"Shishou!" The boy quickly pocketed his phone and stood up to greet me. "Er… That is you, right?"

Pulling down my sunglasses, and tipping the front of my baseball cap up, I grinned and replied, "Yep. Great disguise, right?"

"Sure, but why do you need a disguise?"

"I'll explain soon, but first," I glanced behind me at the petite girl trying to shadow me. "I know you're there Koneko."

The girl stepped out of the shadows of an alleyway and made her way up to Saji and me.

"You'd better explain what this is," she threatened before grabbing our arms and dragging us off to a nearby café.

A few minutes and a nice cup of coffee later, I began explaining. "So, Saji, and Koneko too, since you're here anyways, I need your help in helping Yumi destroying one of the Excaliburs."

Silence permeated our group for a slight moment. The only sounds was the consistent, rhythmic clinking of a fork hitting a plate as Koneko continued to shovel cakes into her mouth.

Finally, Saji spoke up. "No. No, no, no, no, no way in hell am I gonna help you with that! And besides? Why do you need me here? Isn't this a problem in your guys' Peerage?"

"Please, Saji. Akeno and Rias can't know about this. They would never agree to a plan like this," I tried to reason.

"Screw this!" Saji shouted as he stood up from the table. "If this crazy plan doesn't get me killed, then Kaichou will definitely kill me! I'm out of here!"

Before Saji could take more than a couple of steps away, Koneko had grabbed the back of his shirt and forced him back into his seat. She put down her fork, wiped her mouth with a napkin, turned to me, and said, "I'll do it. For Yumi."

"Thank you, Koneko. Can I trust you to not tell the others about this?"

"Even Asia?"

"Yes. Including Asia.

Koneko nodded with fierce determination burning behind her eyes. She really cared for us, huh?

I turned to Saji. "Now, how about it? Koneko's joined. Also, if you do this, I can offer you some pointers in getting Kaichou to notice you."

His ears perked up at that. "Really? Would you really do that for me?!"

This guy was seriously too easy.

"Yes. Of course."

"Alright!," Saji pumped a fist in the air. "I'll do it, Shishou! I won't let you down!"

Good. Phase one of the plan is complete. Now, on to phase two. Hopefully, those two won't mind negotiating a deal with some Devils.

And so, we left the café in search of the two exorcists. Of course, it didn't take very long since I still had their scents fresh in my mind. However, what we found was completely unexpected.

The two of them were begging while a strange painting of some old man sat to the side. What was even more idiotic about this situation was the sign on the side clearly stating that catch sales were forbidden in this area. Not only did someone have to balls to try to sell that painting at an inflated price to foreigners, but also the fact that those two completely didn't pick up on the fact that they were being conned completely made this unbelievably stupid.

Saji, Koneko, and I continued to watch the pitiful scene in front of us. Eventually, Irina and Xenovia collapsed to the ground holding their stomachs. Now's probably a good time to go in.

Walking up to the two of them, I cleared my throat. "Hey, Irina, Xenovia. How about we all go eat together?"

They opened their mouths, likely about to say something like they didn't need help from a Devil, but were promptly cut off by their growling stomachs.

"Yeah, thought so." I helped them up to their feet and we all made our way to a nearby family restaurant.

After watching the exorcist duo devour through three plates of food, Xenovia wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked, "Well, what do you want from us?"

Here it comes. If they don't agree to this, then the plan is going to be considerably harder to pull off.

"I'm going to come right out and say it," I stared right into Xenovia's harsh eyes, matching her cold glare. "We need your help to destroy one of the Excaliburs."

Both Irina and Xenovia froze at this, Irina with a spoonful of dessert still in her mouth.

Frowning, the blue-haired exorcist thought about it for a moment before answering, "Alright, that should be fine, but just make sure that nobody finds out that you are Devils."

"Xenovia?!" Irina looked at her partner in shock. "Are you serious? These are Devils! Devils! Don't you understand that?"

Xenovia appeared unphased by Irina's outburst and continued to calmly speak. "You should know full well that this mission is near impossible for just the two of us. Even if we were to use our last resort, we most likely wouldn't survive."

Irina cast her eyes downwards. "Even so…"

"Well think about it like this. Instead of getting help from Devils, we're getting help from a dragon," Xenovia suggested. "More than that, isn't Saya your friend?"

"Urk!" Looks like that caught her off guard.

"Alright, fine," Irina sighed and gave up.

Success! After Irina finally relented, I called Yumi and told her to come meet us at the restaurant. When she got here, we caught her up on what just happened. Once she agreed to getting our help, albeit somewhat hesitantly, Xenovia and Irina began explaining to us a bit more about the Holy Sword Project. It was apparently led by some Archbishop named Valper Gallilei who was exiled for his extreme human experimentation. He was then later picked up by the Fallen Angels. What really threw me off, was the fact that Yumi had been attacked by that crazy exorcist, Freed, earlier, and he possessed one of the Excaliburs that was stolen. I thought that I had managed to kill him during my rescue mission, but he seems to have managed to escape somehow.

With everything said and done, we exchanged contact information with the exorcist pair before they went on their way.

"Saya, why are you doing this?" Yumi asked after we had left the resturaunt.

Walking ahead of her, I turned around before putting my hands on my hips and leaning forward. "Idiot!"

"Huh?"

"We're all friends, you know! If you're ever in trouble, we'll all come to help you no matter what. So…" I felt my voice crack, and get softer. "So don't… Try to do things alone. Don't make the same mistake I made."

Koneko nodded, and gripped Yumi's arm. "I don't want you to disappear. Being lonely is terrifying."

Yumi's hair drooped over her eyes and her shoulders began shaking.

Hm… Guess even the unfathomable prince can still cry.

"Pff… Hehehe…"

Or… not?

Soon enough, Yumi's subdued giggling turned into joyful laughter.

Jeez. What's so funny? We're bearing our hearts out for you, you know?

"You guys, thank you," she said after she finally managed to calm down. "Let's all destroy an Excalibur together."

It's nice to see Yumi smiling again.

"Right!" I grinned and nodded.

"Yes." Koneko gave a small smile and nodded as well

"Ahem," The sound of Saji clearing his throat interrupted the tender moment we were having. "I'd really appreciate it if you told me what the deal is with Yumi and holy swords."

Really? Does this guy not know how to read the mood?

But, Yumi being the polite person she is, decided to just go with it.

"Alright, I guess I'll explain," she began. "I was part of an experiment run by the church called the Holy Sword Project. The project was supposed to develop users capable of wielding holy swords. Every single day was filled with harsh training routines and inhumane experiments."

I watched as Yumi's eyes darkened as she clenched her fists before she continued. "In the end, all of the test subjects were killed for the reason being that we were unable to properly adapt to the holy swords. With the help of my friends, I had managed to barely escape, and that is when Buchou showed up. For the longest time, I've wanted to get revenge against the ones that harmed us. The only reason I even escaped, was so I could kill the bastard that ordered the execution."

Even though I already knew many of the details, Yumi's own recount of her experience made it seem all the worse. I know for a fact that there are both good and bad people in every organization, but it doesn't make it any less wrong. Why didn't the church kill the man who did this? His actions were on the level of genocide. Instead, they just excommunicated him.

"Kiba…"

Hm? I turned towards Saji and… is… is he crying? Tears were continuously streaming down his face as he openly sobbed in front of us.

"That was terrible!" Saji wailed. "I understand! I totally understand! Such a horrible past… Yes! I'll definitely help you! Without a shred of doubt!"

Ah… haha… ha.

Koneko, Yumi, and I all shared a look, but none of us moved to interrupt Saji who continued to rant.

"Yes! Because you have told me your goal, then I will lay bear my own! My goal is…"

The idiot paused for dramatic effect. I was beginning to question whether or not stringing him along was a good idea. He did take up four pawn pieces though so he must be pretty strong, right? I'll just have to bear with this for now.

"To marry Kaichou!"

And there it is.

"Just think about it! Holding a beautiful upper-class Devil's body in your arms and sharing your lives together!"

He's still going. I shot Koneko a look to try to get her to stop him, but she just shook her head while glaring daggers at me.

"Every single day, filled with showers of kisses and love! Home cooked meals! And most importantly, the steamy nights of passion!"

Yumi? Nope. She just smiled and laughed nervously. Fine, jeez, you two are useless. Walking up to the delusional Saji, I reared my fist back before slamming it into his gut. He's gonna be feeling that when he wakes up. Holding him by the collar, I began dragging his unconscious body away as Koneko and Yumi followed closely behind. Now that we're not sidetracked, we can finally begin phase three of the plan.

* * *

It's been a few days since we first began searching for Freed. We were all dressed up as people from the church in the hopes of drawing him out, but we've had no luck so far. I quickly scanned the shadows all around us in case someone was waiting to ambush us. We should be able to sense them if they come at us, but we can't be too careful.

"Hold up." Yumi stopped us and stepped forward, lowering her hood. "He's here."

"Ihihihihi!"

That laugh. That's Freed alright. I could never forget such a disgusting sound.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A delicious band of priests for me to cut up~?" The insane exorcist's voice rang out from above us.

Looking up, we saw him drop down from a rooftop to a nearby ledge.

"Hm? Why, if it isn't sword girl and Devil bitch. I've been wanting to kill you for the longest time now, you know." He stood up while holding out the sword in his hand. This feeling, that's an Excalibur, isn't it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and my tail threatened to uncurl itself from my waist. There was a real danger here this time. If one of us were to be hit by that, it'd be trouble.

 **[BOOST]**

"Everyone, follow the strategy!" I shouted as I drew Gan Jiang and Mo Ye out from behind my back.

""Right!""

"Extend, Line!" Saji called out as a blue tendril shot out of his gauntlet and flew towards Freed. He easily managed to cut it out of the air, but remaining length kept growing before it wrapped itself around the priest's leg. "Now, Kiba!"

"Got it!" Yumi leapt towards the immobile Freed with her own sword raised.

Freed grinned as he readied his sword. "Do you really think that piece of scrap metal can match up to my Excalibur?"

His sword flashed out and collided with Yumi's, but instead of the blades clashing, the Excalibur completely cut through Yumi's demonic sword, forcing her to dodge backwards.

"Switch!" I shouted as I dashed forward. Yumi quickly put some distance between herself and Freed before she creating another sword in her hands.

Meanwhile, Freed had managed to cut himself out of Saji's bindings. I quickly slashed out with the twin short swords. I'll have to be careful if I don't want my own swords breaking. Just before our blades met, I twisted my wrists and changed the trajectory of my attacks so I was deflecting the Excalibur away with the flat end of the swords.

Damn! Does this Excalibur really give him all this speed? As our exchange continued, I caught Yumi repositioning herself behind Freed.

"Switch!" When I heard Yumi's command, I slid backwards, out of reach of Freed's sword as Yumi charged him with her swords, ready to stab him in the back. Yes! That should be it.

"Hihi~! Too slow!" A second later, Freed had back flipped over Yumi and slashed downward.

"Switch!" The Knight instantly dropped to the ground and rolled away from Freed's attack, the sword just barely missing splitting her in two.

As I was running up to Freed, a blue tendril flew past my head and wrapped itself around Freed's leg again.

"Absorption Line!"

I shot a quick look of thanks back at Saji who grinned in response.

Freed dropped to one knee as Saji's Sacred Gear began draining him of his power. "Wh-what the hell?! My energy is..!"

With this, I should be able to finish him.

"It's over, you damned insane priest!" I shouted as I brought the black and white short swords down on him. Sparks flew as our blades slammed together. I grit my teeth as I pushed harder, trying to break through. Cracks began forming in my blades as Freed's sword slowly began to overpower my own swords. Are all the Exacliburs supposed to be this strong?

"Yumi! Hurry up and get him!"

"Right!" I heard her reply from behind me.

But before she could make her move, another voice sounded out from above us. "Why, what do we have here?"

Freed and I both glanced up simultaneously at the appearance of another person.

The stray exorcist clicked his tongue. "Tch. Valper."

Valper. That's the man who was in charge of the Holy Sword Project. My eyes traveled back to Yumi to see that she was glaring at the man with all her hate. This isn't good. My swords can't take much more of this. I jumped away from Freed, and towards the others. We lost our chance.

"What do you think you're doing, Freed? Stop playing around," the old man said.

"If ya haven't noticed yet, I'm kinda stuck 'cause of this stupid string," Freed retorted.

"Hmph. Just use the Sacred Element you were given."

"Like this?" A large amount of power flared from Freed's body as he casually swung the Excalibur downward and severed the line that was draining his strength.

The former archbishop turned away and began leaving. "Come, Freed. We're returning to Kokabiel."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, old man," Freed said while scratching his head. "You chumps got lucky. I'll see you later."

With that, he leapt into the air.

"I won't let you!"

A blur rushed past me and followed the exorcist into the air. The familiar mop of blonde hair was all I could catch before they disappeared over the rooftops.

"Yumi! Wait!"

My voice fell on deaf ears though, as she didn't respond back. Dammit, Yumi! You idiot!

"Looks like we were too late."

I turned around at the sound of Xenovia's voice. She and Irina had taken off their cloaks and had their weapons drawn.

"Are you all okay?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, but Freed and Valper got away."

Xenovia's gaze travelled up to the rooftops. "Don't worry, Irina and I will follow them. We'll take it from here."

"Are you sure? We can help too, you know."

The blue-haired exorcist shot me a wry smile before jumping into the air. "Unfortunately, you have more pressing matters to attend to."

What? More pressing matters? What could be more important than this right now?

Right after that thought crossed my mind, I felt a chill run down my back.

"Um… Koneko. That isn't who I think it is, right?"

"It is."

"We're in trouble, aren't we?"

"We are."

"Oh, yes," I heard Rias say from behind me. "You three are very much in trouble. Isn't that right, Sona?"

Kaichou's here too? I glanced Saji and noticed that he was literally sweating up a storm. His face had gone pale and it looked like he was going to puke any second now.

"Indeed, Rias. A punishment is definitely in order. Right after they explain to us just what they were doing behind our backs."

And so, the remaining three of us grudgingly explained the situation and our plan to them while prostrating ourselves.

"So, you were trying to destroy one of the Excaliburs?" Rias asked in disbelief.

"Yes…"

"And Yumi went after that Valper person with the two exorcists sent from the church, yes?"

"That's right…"

Kaichou sighed and massaged her forehead. "What made you think that this idiotic plan of yours would work?"

"Well…" I tried thinking of an answer to her question, but nothing came to mind. Honestly, I wasn't one for overly complicated plans. Usually I would just improvise as I went.

"I thought so. You do realize that all of you could've gotten killed, right?"

"We're sorry…"

Bending down towards us, Rias gave an exasperated sigh, like a mother would do with her mischievous kids, and brought Koneko and I into her arms. "Just promise me you don't do something so reckless again."

Koneko nodded. "Yes, Buchou."

"We promise," I added.

I took a quick look behind Rias' back to check on our partner in crime and saw Saji bending over on all fours while Kaichou was standing behind him with her hand raised in the air.

"Noooo! Kaichou! I'm sorry!" Saji cried.

"Reflect on your actions! You'll be receiving one thousand spanks as punishment."

I winced as the sound of Saji's pained screams combined with Kaichou's hand cracking against his rear. Thank my luck that Rias isn't like that.

"Now, Saya. Bend over."

Huh? I stared at Rias who had a serious look on her face.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Um…" Taking a step backwards, I held out my hands in front of me to try to placate her. "Can't you just let me go with a warning this time?"

"Nope." A dark aura began emanating from Rias' hand. "Koneko, hold her down."

"Okay, Buchou."

Eh? Wait, what? Before I could react, Koneko slipped behind me, held my arms, and forced me onto my knees.

"H-hey! Koneko, what are you doing?" I was starting to panic now. My delicate body won't be able to take that kind of abuse!

"It's your punishment," the petite girl announced without a shred of guilt.

Koneko you traitor! I can't believe you would abandon me like this! And why am I the only one getting spanked?!

"W-wait, wait, wait. We can talk this out, can't we, Buchou?" I tried to bargain with my master.

"Nope," she answered almost immediately. "Now, prepare yourself."

It's over... I sighed as I braced myself for the hell I was about to endure. Koneko… I'll definitely get you back for this!

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D (D-)

 **Endurance:** D+ (D)

 **Agility:** B (C)

 **Magic:** E

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Nebula, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Kunitsuna, Muramasa [Unusable], Parchment of Omniscience

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E (E-) - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (C-) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly rejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX (N/A) - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.


	12. The Holy Sword's Lullaby 2

**AN:** This is super long overdue, isn't it? Well, here it is now. During the huge break in between I got the chance to kind of refresh my thinking. Sometimes, you just gotta let ideas sit and incubate. Anyways, enjoy the return of the DRE with the conclusion to the Holy Sword Arc.

* * *

"Asia! We're back!" I called out as Rias and I stepped into the house. My rear was seriously hurting from her punishment… I mean, who in the world would think that one thousand demonically enhanced spanks would be a good idea for a punishment?! I'm surprised I didn't die!

"Um… W-welcome back, Saya, Buchou…"

When I glanced up at Asia after taking off my shoes, I froze. Time seemed to grind to a halt as I tried to process what was in front of me. This can't be real. Right? Right? The pure and demure Asia dressed in such a revealing way. But… her innocence definitely adds to the charm. The embarrassed, but determined smile, the subtle curves of her naked back, combined with the single apron covering her front. That's right. It was the fabled naked apron.

No! Wait! What am I thinking!

"Asia," I said while grabbing her shoulders. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why is it so hard to keep eye contact?! It was like my eyes had minds of their own and they were trying to get as much of the candy that was in front of them before it disappeared.

"I-I asked a friend of mine in class and she told me that this also a big part of Japanese culture," Asia explained shyly.

That… That can't be a female friend, right? It has to be some guy who told her that.

"Friend? Which friend?"

"Um… Kiryuu."

Oh.

Well, that made sense too I suppose. She had given me dangerous vibes from the very beginning so I avoided her, but to think that she was this kind of person.

Rias, meanwhile, was humming and nodding.

"I see," she mumbled to herself. "This is also a valid strategy…"

There. There was that glint in her eyes. The same glint that means she's planning something. Rias continued talking to herself as she made her way towards the kitchen, leaving Asia and I alone in the entryway.

This is bad… I can't think of anything to say. I wonder if becoming a Devil somehow made me more lustful. Normally, this shouldn't have fazed me, but now it took all my self-control to not just devour Asia right now.

Without warning, Asia threw herself onto me and hugged me.

"Saya…"

No! Asia! Don't do that right now!

"You smell so nice, Saya…"

Must… not… give in..!

"You know… I don't regret this life I chose."

Hm? My previous desires completely disappeared and were instead replaced by worry as I felt the front of my blouse getting wet

"Everyone has been so nice to me. You, Buchou, Akeno, Koneko, Yumi. All of you are precious to me now. That's why… that's why…"

Asia raised her head, and stared at me with a tear stained face.

"I'm so glad I met you, Saya. It's the best thing that has ever happened in my life. So please, don't leave me."

Wiping away her tears with one of my hands, I planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, Asia. I promise that I'll always be with you. You're precious to me as well, so there's no way I'd ever leave you alone."

After hearing that, she smiled that pure, smile of hers that I love. One so full of joy, and kindness that it could melt the iciest of hearts. I embraced her, wrapping my arms around her back, and placing my chin on top of her head.

"Always, and forever," I continued. "Because I love you."

It wasn't a lie. I honestly do love her. Every single fiber of my being wants to protect her from any kind of harm.

I felt Asia cling tighter to me, her smaller body pressing against me. Not good, it's starting up again. Must… resist…

Stupid hands! No! My hands were unconsciously reaching to grope Asia, and I had to constantly try to force them away.

"Saya! Over here~!"

Huh? That's Rias' voice isn't it?

I was definitely not ready for the sight that greeted me when I turned to look at her. In fact, I don't think anybody would have been ready. She had gotten her own apron and had stripped off all of her clothes. It's already hard enough to hold back with Asia, but now with Rias here I could feel my sanity slowly slipping away.

Her devilish smirk combined with sinful, erotic look of the naked apron was unbearable.

What's going on with me lately? I normally don't pay attention to these kinds of things!

Luckily, before I could lose control and pounce on the two of them, Rias took Asia's hand and began leading her into the kitchen.

"Come on, Asia! Let's get cooking," she declared as she marched away.

I heaved a sigh of relief as they disappeared around the corner. Jeez. My heart was beating a million times a minute. I'll just go take a quick, cold shower to try to calm myself down for now.

After a hearty, and healthy meal lovingly prepared by both Rias and Asia, we were all ready for a good nights sleep. Or rather, those two were. Thankfully, both of them had taken to wearing pajamas at my request. I don't know what would happen if they weren't.

 **[Partner! Outside!]** Ddraig shouted all of a sudden.

What?

Before I could react, Rias had dashed past me and threw the curtains open.

That's… Freed?! Why is that Stray Exorcist outside my window?

 **[No… Something worse.]**

" _Worse? What do you mean worse?!"_

Ddraig became uncharacteristically silent at my question.

With a taunting grin, he beckoned for us to come outside before disappearing into the shadows.

"Why… why is he here..?" I whispered.

No way. He couldn't be thinking of attacking us inside of our house, could he?

"Saya, get a hold of yourself! We're going!"

Rias' clear voice cut through my worries and snapped me out of my daze. Glancing at her, I saw that she and Asia had already begun changing.

"R-Right."

Stripping off my pajamas, I hastily threw on my uniform before quietly rushing outside.

When we stepped out of the house, Freed greeted us with a cheery laugh and a smile.

"Hey, hey! Good evening, good night! You seem to be doing well, Devil bitch," he sang.

I didn't pay attention to the insane man, and instead looked up into the sky at the flying figure. A Fallen Angel that seems to be holding something in his arms.

"What do you want with us, Fallen Angel Overseer Kokabiel?" Rias demanded.

Kokabiel? That's what Ddraig meant, then. To think such a powerful Fallen Angel would come here of all places. Every atom of my body was screaming for me to run away. To run away and hide somewhere, and that I was no match for that monster.

Haha… Yes. This is it! This is the feeling I've been waiting for! Adrenaline rushed through my body as I felt myself heating up.

That's when I noticed the full moon hanging behind the legendary Fallen Angel. Ah… I see. Why didn't I realize that sooner?

"Why, you look like the spitting image of your brother, Rias Gremory," Kokabiel drawled. "So much in fact that it makes me sick to my stomach."

Taking the thing he had in his arms, he lazily dropped it towards us. "Here. A souvenir from me. I hope you enjoy it."

Wait… Those brown twintails and that skin-tight battle suit… Isn't that Irina?! I quickly moved under her falling body and caught her in my arms. She had cuts and bruises all over her, and she was breathing raggedly. Did Kokabiel do this to her? That bastard…

"Irina! Can you hear me? Irina!" I tried talking to her, but she didn't respond. She must be unconscious. Wait, what about Yumi and Xenovia? Are they okay? No. I have to take care of Irina first.

"Asia!" I called out. "Irina needs healing!"

"R-Right!"

I left Irina in Asia's capable hands and stood beside Rias to face the Fallen Angel.

"Those worms came all the way to our base, so I decided to greet them with the appropriate hospitality," Kokabiel sneered as he looked down on us.

"Answer my question! What are you after?" Rias retaliated.

"My, my. How impolite. Maybe if I violate and murder his precious little sister, Sirzechs will decided to reignite the war."

Seriously? This guy is trying to restart the war that almost destroyed all three of the races involved?

"You're insane! Why would you do such a thing?!"

The Fallen Angel cackled maniacally. "Because I'm bored! Ever since that fool Azazel agreed to the ceasefire I've been hopelessly bored of life. I had hoped Michael would respond with hostility one I had stolen all the Excaliburs, but he only sent a couple of worthless exorcists, so I decided to change my plan to rile up Sirzechs instead."

Rias grit her teeth and clenched her fists. She was understandably angry. No doubt she feels like she needs to take care of Kokabiel herself, as well.

"I shall be waiting at your precious school. If you don't show up, I might just go on a rampage and destroy this entire town."

With that the man flew away with Freed closely following behind.

I was shaking. To think that I'd get a chance to fight such a high level boss enemy so early on. Riser was nothing compared to this guy. In fact, I'd wager a guess that he's almost close to the Black Dragon's level of power.

"That damned, insane warmonger…" Rias ground out as she pulled out her cell phone.

She must be trying to contact everyone else. Meanwhile I went over to Asia who was still healing up Irina. She was mostly patched up by now, but she was still unconscious.

"Irina…" I knew she probably couldn't hear me, but it couldn't hurt. "I'll pay that guy back tenfold of what he did to you."

"You two!" Rias called out to us. "Come on we're going after them! I won't let him destroy this town."

* * *

After meeting up with the rest of the ORC on school grounds, we waited for Kaichou's group to arrive. Asia and I had dropped Irina off in the infirmary on behalf of Rias' orders. I had a few objections to that, considering that she'd be all alone in there, but then again it'd be a lot safer than just bringing her with us to fight.

In the meantime as we waited, I began prepping for what was about to happen. If needed, then I would have to use that. Undoubtedly, it would draw a lot of unwanted attention, and I would lose one of my most powerful weapons.

The sound of Kaichou's voice drew my attention away from my preparations.

"The student council will be in charge of maintaining barriers around the school in order to try to contain the damage. Although, even with all of us working on us I still believe that if Kokabiel goes all out the entire city may be leveled," she stated. "We are going up against the Overseer of the Fallen Angels. One wrong move, and we're all dead.

"Don't worry, Sona. We'll manage," Rias declared.

Flipping through the thick tome I had in my hand, I counted the number of pages left inside of it. Crap… I've already used half of the pages. I've really been loose with weapons I've been using. I've already lost two legendary spears, and almost lost two legendary short swords. I can't exactly afford to lose a nuke as well.

I sighed. Should I use Caledfwlch? It could be a good counter, but at the same time using it could destroy me. I do still have the Longinus, but I'm sure that just touching that would kill me. Unless…

 **[Partner, no. I won't let you do that. You'll just kill yourself.]**

" _But Ddraig. What if I need to? The most powerful weapons I have are all holy weapons. What if we need to count on that power to win?"_

 **[No. The risks are too high. That idea will assuredly kill you.]**

" _Right… I'll leave that as a final trump, then."_

 **[Partner…]** Ddraig sighed. **[Fine! Do what you will! You've already shown me that your conviction can blast through almost anything. So show me the same legendary warrior I saw in your memories, and pound that asshat into the ground!]**

" _Well said, Partner. I'll try not to disappoint."_

Strapping the last piece of armor onto my legs, I stood up and began stretching. The purpose of the armor wasn't exactly for protection, but it was more for movement. They had special magical enchantments on them that boosted the abilities of the body part they were made for. The gauntlets boosted my arm strength, the chest piece increased my stamina, and the boots increased my speed.

I checked that all my weapons were securely strapped to my body one more time before I went to join the others in their planning. Not wanting to interrupt, I just stood to the side and waited for Rias and Kaichou to finish talking.

"One hour, then." Kaichou frowned. "Alright. The student council shall hold the barrier until Lucifer arrives."

Rias nodded. "Right, and we'll be in charge of keeping Kokabiel busy."

So we're actually getting backup then? But it'll take an hour for them to get here… I'm not even sure if we can hold out that long against such a powerful enemy. But hey. I've been known to surpass insurmountable odds in the past.

"Everyone!" Rias called out as she turned to us. "This battle will be nothing like the Rating Game with Riser. So… As club president, I order you all to give this fight your all and protect this town with everything you have! I also won't allow a single one of you to die here!"

""Right!""

Nice. I'm getting pumped up. Buchou sure knows how to boost our morale. After all, she has the natural charisma a leader should have.

"Shishou!" Saji called out as he made his way up to me. "Good luck on the fight. Don't worry about going too wild. We'll handle all the damage containment."

"Right, Saji. We'll all be counting you guys too. Make sure you don't slack off, okay?"

"Heheh. Don't worry about it. Just come back alive, you hear?"

"Of course. I don't plan on letting anyone die tonight."

Alright…

As the student council separated from us, we began making our way towards the center of the school where that former archbishop was standing inside a magic circle with four Excalibur fragments floating in front of him.

What's he doing?

"Valper, how much longer until it's done?"

Looking up, at the sound of the voice, I noticed Kokabiel lounging on a floating throne. Really now? Really? How much of an evil villain do you want to be? First, you just want to rile up things because you're bored, and now you're sitting in a throne waiting for us to show up like Dracula?

"It shouldn't take any longer than five minutes," the old man replied.

Could it be that he's trying to fuse the pieces together? And where's Freed? He should be around here somewhere, right?

"So," Kokabiel drawled. "When will Sirzechs be here? Or will it be Serafall?"

Rias stepped forward, unwavered and shouted. "We will be the ones facing you!"

"Hm..?"

Oh boy. That didn't make him too happy. We watched as he lifted a hand before bringing it down. In the next instant, a massive light spear crashed into gymnasium, completely obliterating it.

Jeez… I guess it makes sense that he's this strong considering he's one of the top dogs of the Fallen Angels.

"How dull. If you are all shaken by such a simple display, then I doubt you will provide me with much entertainment. Maybe I should have you play with my pet instead."

Snapping his fingers, a large shadow appeared behind him along with a low, growling sound. For each thundering step it took, more and more of its body was revealed until it was fully presented under the moonlight.

"Cerberus?! To think that he summoned such a dangerous beast into the human world!"

Rias looked furious. Was this thing really that dangerous? I've killed plenty of feral wolves before so I kind of doubt this thing will be any more dangerous. After all, it's just a dog with three heads. Right?

" _Alright, Ddraig. Let's go!"_

 **[BOOST!]**

Just as I was about to draw my swords and charge at the beast, I felt a hand grab my shoulder and pull me back.

"Saya, you're going to be running support this time," Rias said as she stepped in front of me.

"Huh? Support?"

"That's right. I want you to keep up your boosts and transfer it over to us. That way, it'll increase our overall fighting power."

Right. I'm not fighting alone anymore. Thinking back, I really haven't been much of a team player, huh?

"Okay Got it," I answered with a firm nod.

"How many boosts do you think you can handle?"

"Hm… I'd say about ten."

"Ten should be more than enough," she said before turning to Akeno. "Akeno, let's go!"

The pair of Devils spread their wings flew forward to meet with the giant beast as I began charging my boosts. It was a bit frustrating that I couldn't physically help out in the fight, but what Rias said was right. Increasing our overall power as a team is much better than just focusing it all in me.

I watched as one of the Cerberus heads opened its mouth and shot out a jet of flames. Wait… It can breathe fire?! Shoot! I didn't bring my notebook! Ugh… I guess I'll just have to draw everything from memory…

As the fire approached Rias, and Akeno, the latter charged forward and extended her hands. The flames hit a magic shield that she had produced and harmlessly bounced off. Once the fire breath died off, Akeno was left flying there looking no less for wear.

"Ara, is that all you can muster, little puppy?"

Out of the corner of my eye I caught one of the other heads opening its mouth, ready to shoot more fire at the two, but before it could do so, Koneko rushed in and uppercutted it's jaws shut as Rias and Akeno charged up their magic.

They bombarded the Cerberus with a combined assault, sending the thing crashing to the ground, but immediately began to get back up on its feet. Not even Rias' magic could kill this thing? I guess it really is on a whole different level.

A growling sound from behind me drew my attention away from the fight in front of me. Turning around, I saw three pairs of eye glaring at Asia from the shadows.

"Another one?! Asia!"

Quickly drawing Clarent, I stood protectively in front of Asia as the Cerberus opened all three of its mouths and lunged at us. Just as I was about to decapitate it, one of its heads flew off as its body was sent flying away with blood spraying from multiple steaming gashes on its body.

"Apologies for making you wait." A figure carrying a massive sword with short blue hair landed on top of the severed head, and looked down at us.

Xenovia…

"Xenovia, you're alright!"

It relieved me to see that she was okay. That probably means Yumi's also unhurt.

The black clad exorcist jumped down from the head as the entire being began disintegrating. That's the power of a holy sword alright. It killed the Cerberus with no problem at all.

"Saya, Asia. I'm sorry for taking so long to get here. There were some complications," the exorcist said as she walked towards us.

"It's fine. We were just getting started. But anyways, where's Yumi? Is she not with you?"

Xenovia shook her head. "No. We split up earlier, but she should arrive soon."

Thank goodness. My heart can rest a little earlier now knowing that she hadn't gotten herself killed.

 **[Partner, if you haven't noticed by now, it's done.]**

Ah, right!

"Rias! Akeno! I'm full up!"

The two of them stopped fighting as Koneko kept the massive beast busy before flying towards me.

"Saya, do you think you can transfer your power to both Akeno and I at the same time?" Rias asked.

"I'm…" I was about to answer her that I wasn't sure, but Ddraig interrupted my sentence.

 **[You can.]**

Well that's nice to know.

"Yes." I nodded. "Yes, I can."

"Alright, we'll leave it up to you then."

I grabbed both of their hands with the Boosted Gear before feeling all of the built up power rush out of the gauntlet.

 **[TRANSFER]**

"So this is how it feels to use the Boosted Gear," Rias commented as she flexed her hands. "Let's go, Akeno!"

"Right!"

Once again, they took off towards the Cerberus, except this time… It was running away? Looking at Akeno I noticed she had that… smile on her face while giggling creepily. Right… I would probably do the same. Although… Oh goodness. That look is making my body kind of hot…

Wait, no! Now's not the time for that! I slapped my face for a good measure and forcefully shook my head. Stupid full moon.

Ah.

Oh… That's why I've been feeling so strange recently. With all the excitement lately I've completely forgotten to keep watch of the lunar cycle.

As the once fearsome looking beast kept running in circles away from Akeno's thunderbolts, a blur of gold rushed in front of its past and planted their hands on the ground.

"Sword Birth!"

Yumi! The whole gang's here now, huh? With this, I feel like we can take on anything.

The Cerberus tried to struggle free from the sea of swords rising from the ground to no avail, and in the next second, it was engulfed by a massive lightning bolt courtesy of Akeno.

Next, Rias aimed for Kokabiel whom was watching with relative disinterest.

"Take this!" She shouted as she released massive ball of dark energy towards the Fallen Angel. Did my boost really give her that much power?! That thing's like the size of a cargo truck!

"Haha!" Kokabiel gave a short, dry chuckle as he held one of his hands out and caught the ball before redirecting it away and into the air where it exploded harmlessly.

"N-no way…"

Rias' power that can completely obliterate things was deflected with just one hand? What is this guy?! That's just cheating!

"It's done!" The old priest cried. "The holy swords have been fused, and within twenty minutes the city shall be destroyed!"

"What?!"

Our backup will take way longer than twenty minutes! Damn it. Looks like we have no choice but to do this ourselves.

Kokabiel smirked and raised one of his hands. "Freed, why don't you show these fools the power of the fused Excalibur?"

From the shadows, the insane exorcist stepped out and grabbed the hilt of the holy sword.

"Kihihihi! I've been waiting for this moment, my beloved Excalibur! Time to play!"

Freed twirled the sword around his hand before taking a few practice swings. Almost as if he was a batter stepping up to home plate. I glanced at Yumi. She was glaring at the sword, but at least she isn't just charging in recklessly.

The Knight lowered her swords before directing her attention to the former archbishop.

"Valper Gallilei, I am one of the test subjects you murdered for your Holy Sword Project," she stated. "Let me ask you, why? Why did you do such a thing?!"

"Hoh..? A survivor? Very well. I don't see why not."

From there, the old man began explaining to us all about how he was obsessed with holy swords from an early age, but he couldn't wield them because he didn't have the affinity. After he found out he couldn't use them, he began researching on ways to create holy sword users. Apparently, there was a certain gene that allowed people to use holy swords properly, but the test subjects he had didn't have the necessary amount so he killed all of them and extracted them, then crystallized them. In the end, the crystals were used to "bless" people to become new holy sword wielders.

"So… You killed everyone…" Yumi's grip on her swords tightened. "Just so you could use our genes..?"

This guy is a total monster, but he's also no different from many of the scientists in the past. Driven by their passion for their field, their research caused them to perform morally questionable action in order to find their answers.

"That's right. I have given Freed three of them, and now only one of them remains." Valper held out a small crystal about the size of a walnut. "Here, you can have it. Think of it as a token of my thanks for your contributions."

He tossed the crystal, and it landed and rolled to Yumi's feet. Tears were freely flowing down her face she bent down to pick it up. She carefully cradled it to her chest as her body was racked with sobs.

"Everyone… I… I…"

A light began shining from the crystal and streams of magic began flowing into Yumi. This is… I closed my eyes and allowed my consciousness to drift from my body. Although it was faint, I could hear voices. A collection of voices belonging to people I didn't recognize. Are these the test subjects that were killed?

I opened my eyes again. The light was shining brightly now and I could feel raw power flowing out of Yumi's body.

" _Ddraig. Is this…?"_

 **[Yes. Balance Breaker. That girl has reached the peak of her Sacred Gear.]**

Then I guess leaving Freed to Yumi now wouldn't be a problem. Her conviction that she reached along with the help of her former comrades will definitely carry her through.

"Valper Gallilei…" Yumi said as she began walking towards the former church duo. "I will be the one to cut you down for your transgressions."

Alright, let's give her a little more. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I shouted as loud as I could. "Yumi! We all believe in you so don't you dare lose to that Excalibur!"

"That's right, Yumi!" Rias followed up. "You're my Knight! Do not disappoint me!"

Akeno giggled. "That's right! Don't that silly scrap of metal beat you, Yumi!"

"Yumi, fight..!"

"Yumi! We believe in you!"

Koneko and Asia joined in as well. Go, Yumi! With all our hearts as one, we can never lose!"

"Everybody…" The Knight took a deep breath before holding her hands in front of her. "Thank you. I won't let you down!"

Slowly, a new sword I've never seen before began forming in Yumi's hands. This feeling is just like Clarent, albeit slightly weaker.

In a flash, Yumi was gone from her spot and appeared right in front of Freed while bringing her new sword down against the exorcist. Their blades clashed and sparks flew. Surprise appeared in Freed's eyes as the aura surrounding his sword began fading.

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue and jumped backwards. "The hell?! How could that shitty sword be stronger than the Excalibur?!"

The holy sword elongated and began flying towards Yumi before splitting into multiple strands. As the individual blades continuously assaulted her, she parried each and every strike as she closed the distance between her and her opponent.

Freed was beginning to panic now. It showed all over his face. "How about this, shitty Devil?!"

The blades all disappeared at once, but Yumi kept swinging her own sword at the same speed. Is that another one of its power?

Sparks flew the Knight managed to parry the invisible strikes directed at her.

"Shit! Just die already!"

Yumi's arm became a blur. Faster, faster, the attacks kept speeding up but she managed to keep up with it. It didn't even look like she was struggling at all! To think that three of us struggled against Freed with just his single fragment, and now Yumi was taking him on with a bunch of fragments fused together.

"Yumi! Keep him busy like that!" Xenovia held out her arms and began chanting. "Saint Peter, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Denis, Holy Mother Mary, please her me. In the name of the saints whom reside in this blade, come forth, Durandal!"

Suddenly, a rift opened in front of her and she reached into it before taking out a sword pretty much the same size as the Excalibur Destruction.

"The Durandal?!" Valper looked shocked. "Aren't you an Excalibur wielder?!"

Xenovia ignored him and took the same stance she used with the Exalibur.

Meanwhile, Freed directed his attention to Xenovia. "Shitty bitch! Don't interfere with this battle!"

A near invisible blade snaked through the air to the exorcist who just gave a lazy swing to the side. The sound of metal shattering echoed throughout the area as the legendary sword was destroyed.

Freed just gawked at the single, remaining hilt that he held in his hand.

"Wh-what..? The legendary Excalibur is-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Yumi ran him through with her own sword. Slowly, the life began fading from the insane priest's eyes. Yumi pulled out the sword and let the man drop to the ground as a small puddle of blood began forming under his body. Is it done? Is that guy finally dead? I'm half expecting him to just jump up and start dancing around again.

No. He's dead. He's finally dead. Now all that was left was Valper and Kokabiel.

Almost as if reading my mind, Yumi turned around and faced the former archbishop and began slowly stalking towards the paling man.

"That's… that sword… It can't be..! Holy and Demonic energies combined?! If these two elements are coexisting, then… then… Not only Maou, but God is- Hrk?!"

The old man slowly glanced down at his stomach at the light spear the protruded from it. His eyes rolled back into his head and collapsed.

What was he about to say about God? The Maou?

All of a sudden, Kokabiel began laughing. "Very well done, Valper Gallilei! You figured the secret out in your last moments!"

He finally kicked off of his throne and floated down to the ground. Gesturing to me with a finger, he sneered and taunted, "Well? What are you waiting for? Go ahead and transfer more of your power to someone else."

This guy… He's that confident?

Alright then…

 **[BOOST!]**

Time counted down as none of us moved a single step. Eventually, after what felt like forever, the gauntlet glowed brighter, signaling that is was ready.

"It's done," I called out.

"Good, now who shall you give it to?"

Should I transfer it? I… I don't want anyone getting hurt.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turned to see Rias smiling at me and holding out her hand. I hesitated for a second.

"Rias, are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. Please, transfer the power to me."

Okay… I grabbed her outstretched hand with the Boosted Gear and began the transfer process. The red aura around her body began to grow. In her other hand, she began conjuring up another ball of her magic, this time, however, it grew far past its previous size.

"Kuhahahahaha! Good, good!" Kokabiel cackled. "Show me more of that legendary power! With this, you could even rival your brother's strength! Kahahahaha!"

This guy is just as insane as the other two were. The ball in Rias' hand kept on growing and growing until it could not grow anymore.

"Kokabiel…!" She shouted as she hefted the gigantic ball at the Fallen Angel. "Blow awaaaaay!"

"Yes, yes! That's it!"

Kokabiel held both of his hands out and caught the massive ball of energy. No way. Not even that..? Slowly, slowly, he began to push the attack away. His robe began ripping and the flesh on his hand began ripping. Maybe? If we can just give it one more push!

Looking at Buchou, though, I noticed that she was sweating and breathing raggedly. No. She can't do another one of those. Then all we can do now is pray for the best. If he still isn't down after this, then I'll be forced to take him on.

"Lightning!"

A bolt of lightning flew towards the occupied Fallen Angel, but it was just waved aside by a simple brush of his wings.

"Weak! You power is nothing compared to your father, daughter of Baraqiel!"

For the first time in my life, I saw Akeno get genuinely angry. Her eyes darkened at the mention of her father. The two must have some bad blood with each other. Or rather, in most cases it's the child that doesn't like the parent. From what I've seen it's almost always the case of a parent screwing up somewhere and the child hating them for the rest of their life even if the parent tries to do everything they can to make it up to them. Who know, though. Akeno's father could just be a dead beat screw up. Maybe I should ask her about it later. It's not good to keep that kind of hate bottled up inside of you. Just like Yumi, it makes you do stupid things when the bottle shatters.

Before long, the once massive ball of demonic energy was completely dissipated. It wasn't enough in the end. In fact, Kokabiel isn't even breathing hard.

The Fallen Angel gave a short chuckle. "Is that all? You and your servants are all weak, Crimson Ruin Princess!"

Weak, huh? I guess in a way, we're all weak. But… as long as we work together as a team then we can overcome anything.

Reaching into my Vault I pulled out a large, ornate sword and a small disc which I strapped to the Boosted Gear. Considering how not even I have enough fire power to kill this guy in one shot, we'll need to whittle him down slowly.

"Hey, Kokabiel! I challenge you to a duel!" I called out while stepping forward past the others.

"What?! Saya, are you-?!"

I shot Rias a look that made her cut off her sentence. If this plan was going to work, then I'll have to work quick.

"Hmph. You wish to face me by yourself?" Kokabiel scoffed. "Don't make me laugh!"

"Oh? Are you afraid? The great Kokabiel is scared of a mere Devil?"

The Fallen Angel's eye twitched and a light spear appeared in his hand. Heh. That didn't take much work. I raised the disc up in front of me as Kokabiel lazily threw the spear at me.

Brace for impact…

The light spear crashed into the shield with the force of what felt like a thousand canons. I grit my teeth as the tremors of the resulting explosion pushed me backwards. Dust was our kicked up all around me, obscuring my vision. Phase one complete.

From outside the smokescreen I heard Kokabiel laugh. "Fool! Why would I be afraid of you?"

Because I'm about to beat you, and your stupid crow wings down into the ground. I popped an unassuming white pill into my mouth and swallowed it. At first, nothing happened, but soon enough the familiar pulling sensation filled my body and I found myself standing on the rooftop behind Kokabiel.

Perfect. It looks like that guy was still gloating about how powerful he is. I gave a quick signal to the others that I was okay, before miming that I wanted everyone to attack him once I gave the go. Seeing the look in their eyes, I knew that I had gotten the message across.

I focused half of my boosts into a single ball inside of my body before expelling it outwards. Beside me, an identical clone of myself formed. Handing the clone Clarent, I crouched beside it and prepared to launch phase 3.

The clone jumped off the roof and plunged towards Kokabiel with Clarent aimed straight for his neck. In a flash, Kokabiel's wings lashed out and pierced the clone. The fake disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"What?!"

He whirled around and tried to search for me. Meanwhile, Yumi and Xenovia rushed towards him with their swords out. Turning around again, Kokabiel managed to create a pair of light swords and clashed them against the pair.

"Is that it? What a foolish plan, thinking you can beat me with just this!"

The Fallen Angel pushed, and a shockwave emitted from his body, sending the pair flying away. They both recovered almost instantly, and rushed back in and began slashing at Kokabiel again. At the same time, Koneko circled around behind him with her fist raised.

"Fly…"

Right before Koneko's fist could reach Kokabiel, his wings extended and the feathers shot out towards the Rook, shredding her clothes and causing numerous cuts to her body. As her small body fell to the ground, Yumi's attention was drawn away for a slight moment. That was all Kokabiel needed. He quickly delivered a kick to Yumi's stomach, sending her flying while sending out another shockwave that pushed Xenovia away. Things weren't going good.

No. I have to trust them. I just need to wait for the right moment to strike.

"Holy-Demonic swords!"

A multitude of Yumi's new swords surrounded Kokabiel as she struggled back onto her feet. Both her and Xenovia were breathing hard now. Off to the side, I notice that Koneko had managed to crawl to safety and that Asia was now healing her.

"Hah! Is that it?" Once again, Kokabiel's black wings stretched out again, and feathers shot out destroying all of the swords surrounding him. "Kahaha! Such an interesting combination, is it not? Well that is the result of both Maou and God dead!"

Everyone froze when he said that. It was almost as if time had stopped. Rias was the first one to move.

"God is… dead…?" She asked, as if she didn't believe what she was hearing.

I had thought something felt off but… for God to be dead is a bit… That does explain why I didn't feel the presence of any immensely powerful beings when I entered this world. Most other times the presence of a god is always there.

"Kukukuku… Kahahahahaha! Yes! That's right! The beloved God that humans so blindly place their faith in no longer exists!"

Xenovia who had recovered from the earlier attack now looked like she had lost the will to live. Her eyes were wide and hollow while her mouth was moving but no sounds were coming out.

"That God died during the war along with the original Maou! Without the leaders of those two factions who ignited the war, all three factions began declining in power. Eventually, that fool Azazel agreed to a truce with that damned Michael and Lucifer! We, the Fallen Angels, had the most power at that point and yet he did not press the advantage! WHAT A FOOL!"

Asia collapsed to her knees and clamped her hands around her ears, almost as if that would erase the memory of what she already heard.

"Yes. That holy-demonic sword is not a result of your power, but because of the imbalance between the two powers in the world. If at least God or Maou were still alive, that would not be possible." The Fallen Angel spread his arms out and roared. "That is why I shall wage a new war! We Fallen Angels will reign superior over the Angels and Devils. And… Your heads shall be the flame that ignites the fuse."

Alright, enough is enough. Our morale won't be getting any better by just standing here and waiting around. This is it.

I leapt off of the rooftop, aiming to split the bastard in two from head to toe. Wind rushed around my body as I sped up until I was almost upon him. His wings extended, and I raised my shield.

Heh. Too bad. That won't work on me.

As the feathers shot towards me, they were all blown off course by the invisible wind barrier in front of me, and any feathers that did touch me, just bounced off of my skin as if they were nothing but rubber balls. With the combination of the Gale shield deflecting attacks, the Queen promotion and the Iron Wall skill, I became practically invincible from all attacks, the cost of it was that I couldn't move, but I didn't have to. Gravity did all the movement for me.

"How-?!"

Just before the blade of Burtgang reached him, I switched it away to a different sword, a sword that is incapable of missing a swing and is able to cut through anything.

The Fallen Angel twisted his body away, but it was too late the cursed sword Tyrfing cut easily through five of his wings and his arm, completely severing them. Reaching out with my other hand, I drew out Dainsleif and slashed horizontally. The tip of the blade just barely grazed against Kokabiel's chest, creating a small scratch.

"Kh! Insolent-!" Kokabiel dashed backwards clutching at his bleeding arm. "How dare you?!"

It was a simple tactic. We just had to make him overconfident in his abilities and then hit him with something he never expected. All the attacks the others used against him was to work towards that end goal. Yumi and Xenovia's swords, Buchou's and Akeno's magic, and Koneko and mine's sneak attacks. We all contributed into getting Kokabiel to underestimate us. In the end, if we can't beat him with power alone, we'll have to resort to cheating.

Pressing the advantage, I ran towards him pressured him with slash after slash with the two swords.

Then all of a sudden a shiver ran down my spine. All of my senses were screaming for me to run. That something was coming, and that it was far more powerful than this Fallen Angel.

From up above, a white light came soaring down towards us at high speed before stopping right before touching the ground. The new appearance was a figure covered in white armor with jewels decorating it. Behind it was a pair of wing-like boosters that gave off a constant glow.

Even though I've never met that person before, something about them felt oddly familiar.

 **[Albion…]**

" _Ddraig, you know that person?"_

 **[Not the person, but the dragon inside. As you know, I am known as the Welsh Dragon, but my rival… He is-]**

"The Vanishing Dragon…" Kokabiel clicked his tongue and "You… Do not interfere!"

The person in the armor scoffed and spoke in a distinctively female voice. "Oh? You look like you're having a bit of trouble there, though. Maybe I should alleviate you from some more of that burden on your back."

In a flash, the Vanishing Dragon disappeared and reappeared behind Kokabiel with one of his wings in her hand.

"Kh! You! You dare oppose me?!"

A swathe of light spears were created in the air around Kokabiel. The white armored figure waved her hand, and a masculine voice called out from the armor.

 _ **[DIVIDE]**_

Almost instantly all the light spears vanished.

"Every ten seconds," she stated. "Your strength will be halved and will be added to mine."

No way…Hey! Isn't that kind of overpowered?! Wouldn't that make her essentially invincible?!

 **[No. Just like my boosts, Albion's user can exceed the limit of power their body can hold, and as a result it can harm them. Also, just like you, anything with a Dragon-slaying property can kill her with ease.]**

" _Right… but that power still beats you out, Ddraig."_

 **[Yep, you got it. You may be able to continuously double your power, but for each half that girl takes, she gains that power you lost.]**

" _And this person is supposed to be my rival?"_

 **[Yep.]**

Great! I'm am I supposed to beat an opponent that can take away power and add it to themselves? That's so completely broken! Not to mention she's leagues ahead of me in terms of training right now.

 _ **[DIVIDE]**_

Every single time Kokabiel tried to conjure up some kind of attack, the girl erased it. After about half a minute, the Fallen Angel had collapsed to one knee panting, and gasping for breath.

It was surreal. Seeing the enemy all of us had so much trouble against reduced to such a weak state so quickly is insane.

"Hmph. How disappointing. I expected more from you when Azazel ordered me to come here, but you couldn't even last a minute."

The Vanishing Dragon boosted towards the fallen Kokabiel and delivered a swift punch that punctured straight through his stomach.

And just like that, the great ten-winged Fallen Angel, now reduced to four wings, was defeated. It wasn't a fight. It was a massacre.

The girl in white armor hefted the unconscious and bleeding Fallen Angel's body onto her shoulder before turning and walking past me towards where Freed's body was lying.

 **[White one. Do you plan to just ignore me?]**

This time, instead of hearing Ddraig's voice in my head like I usually do, the voice came out from the gauntlet. It seems everyone else heard it as well since they all stared at me in confusion with the exception of my rival.

 _ **[I did not know you were awake, Red one.]**_

 **[Hah! Don't play dumb! You think my holder would've made it this far without my help?]**

 _ **[That may be the case. However, this situation is quite odd.]**_

 **[You don't say? You normally used to attack me first, and ask questions later.]**

 _ **[The same could be said for you, Ddraig.]**_

 **[Well I guess becoming an uncle for a hopeless little girl can really change your worldview.]**

 _ **[Quite. I find myself to share the same sentiments.]**_

 **[Then, let us meet again later once this one's gotten a bit stronger? For old times sake.]**

 _ **[Yes. I think that would be quite enjoyable. We will be going now. Farewell, Ddraig.]**_

 **[Alright. See you later, Albion.]**

What. What is with this conversation? From what I've gathered, these two were supposed to be insane rivals but here they're… they're talking like they're old drinking buddies or something…

As the girl was beginning to take off again, I called out to her. "Hey, Vanishing Dragon girl! What's your name?"

The helmeted head swiveled around and faced me.

"It's Valerie. I must say, that gambit you pulled wasn't half bad. However, tricks like that won't work on me. Get stronger so you can properly face me in battle, Welsh Dragon."

With that said, she jetted into the sky, leaving a thin trail of white light behind her. Valerie, huh? Still… to think I'd be facing such a terrifying opponent as my rival. I have a lot to live up to.

Finally getting the chance to relax, I let out a long, drawn out sigh and put my weapons away. I don't know how much of this stress I can take. But, well, the adrenaline helped me release all the pent up energy I had.

Walking up to Yumi who was still catching her breath, I lightly tapped her on her shoulder.

"Congratulations on getting your Balance Breaker, miss Knight," I commented as I stood with my hands on my hips.

"Saya… Um… I-"

"Well, alls well that ends well, right? I'm just glad you didn't get yourself hurt."

"Yes," Yumi gave me a dazzling smile and nodded. "Thank you."

Rias made her way over towards us with a proud expression on her face.

"Yumi, I can't put into words about how happy I am to see you safe. Not to mention you also attained your Balance Breaker," she said.

"Buchou… No, everyone," Yumi bowed her head. "I apologize for my actions. Not only did I disobey direct orders, but I also put everyone in danger for my selfish wants. For that, I am truly sorry."

Chivalrous even at a time like this. Yep. She's definitely back to normal now.

Shaking her head, Rias gently patted Yumi's face. "What's done is done. All that matters is that you are safe."

"Buchou…"

"Now, Saya, would you mind holding Yumi down for me?"

Ah… I know where this is going. Sorry, Yumi, but orders are orders. I'll make sure to treat you to something nice later.

I circled around to the Knight's back, pinned her arms against herself, and bent her over.

"Huh? S-Saya, what are you doing?" She asked nervously.

I gave her a sympathetic smile as Rias slowly approached with a hand surrounded by demonic aura.

And so, our night out ended with Yumi bravely facing Rias' punishment. About half an hour later, our reinforcements arrived.

* * *

 **Omake: The Nightmare(?)**

Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother with going to class. It really isn't like I'm learning anything new anymore. Well, I guess a certain red-head ingrained into me that skipping class was punishable by "execution". I shuddered at the thought. I had never been "executed" myself, but seeing what happened to the boys during the Kyoto trip.

Reaching the club room, I opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hey, everyone, I'm here," I announced as I shut the door behind me.

"Oh, Saya, good afternoon."

Er… wait. I don't recognize that voice. Why is there a guy here? I stared at the unfamiliar, yet slightly familiar male lounging on the couch.

"Um… Excuse me, but who are you?" I asked while slowly backing away towards the door. There was something about him that seemed dangerous.

"My," the red-haired guy stood up and began walking towards me. "You don't recognize me? Are you feeling well, Saya?"

I continued stepping backwards until my back hit the hard wood of the doors.

"No… I don't think so."

The guy kept on approaching me. Closer, closer, until he was standing directly in front of me, our bodies almost touching.

"Ah… I see," he breathed as he took my chin in his hand. "This is a new type of play, isn't it? How about I do something to make you remember?"

Before I could react, he had pushed his lips against mine. His other hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me into his chest. This… This feeling. No, it can't be…

I forcefully broke off from the kiss and stared at the smirking male. Wild crimson hair, clear green eyes, a natural charisma…

"Rias?!"

"Hm?" The guy tilted his head. "Who's Rias? My name's Reas. Could it be that you're actually not feeling well?"

Huh? Wait, what? Rias is… a guy? No, his name's Reas. Do I know somebody with that name? I don't think so. I'd remember. Right?

"Ara, ara. Buchou, maybe we should have Saya lie down."

Another voice I don't know, but that "ara, ara" bit could only mean…

On the couch was a gentle looking guy with long black hair tied into a tight, thin ponytail. Akeno turned into a guy too?! What the hell is going on here?!

"Ara, it seems you don't recognize me either, Saya. Come here, lay your head down on my lap." The guy, Akeno(?), pat his lap with a smile.

My body began moving by itself, and before I realized it I found myself lying on the guy's legs with his hand, slowly stroking my head.

"Well, do you remember my name?" He asked with a teasing smile.

"Um… Akeno..?"

The guy chuckled into his hand. "It's flattering that you find me attractive enough to pass off as a girl, but no. My name is Akito."

I… what's going on. Both Rias and Akeno turned into guys? But wait, no. They're talking like they've been guys the whole time.

Or, wait. Were they even girls to begin with? I don't remember. I think they were, but… that could've just been a dream.

"Well, it seems the princess is enjoying herself quite a bit."

Across the couch from me sat Yumi who was smiling and sipping a cup of tea. Beside her was a short white-haired guy eating donut.

"Yumi! I-I'm not enjoying myself!"

What in the world am I saying? It's like I can't even control what my body does anymore.

"Yumi? What are you saying? My name is Yuuto."

Now that she – he mentions it, his voice is a bit deeper than usual, or, I think it is.

"Kuro…" The white-haired boy next to Yumi – Yuuto said. "My name is Kuro."

"Saya, don't tell me you forgot about me, too!"

Beside me sat a cute, blond-haired boy.

"Asia?"

"No, no, no! It's Eura! Remember, Saya?"s

Ugh… what's happening? Everyone's turned into guys. This isn't some prank, right? A pair of arms wrapped around my stomach and pulled me up so that I was sitting.

"Huh? Akito? What are you doing?"

He just smiled at me and replied, "Why, the usual, of course."

Huh? Usual?

Reas walked up to me and leaned down so he was level with my eyes. "If your mind doesn't remember, then I'm sure your body does."

The red-head's hands travelled to the buttons of my corset and began slowly unbuttoning them.

"W-Wait! What the hell are you doing?!" I tried to move my hands to stop him but they were still being restrained by Akito.

"So…" Yuuto sat down next to me and began playing with my hair. "Let us lose ourselves in our passion once again, princess."

"Hold on! If this is a prank or something-!"

Kuro cut me off with a quick and chaste kiss.

"Not a prank…" He said before kissing me again.

I tried struggling out of the hold, but I couldn't move. I tried saying something, but I couldn't move my mouth. Meanwhile, Eura had crawled up to my side and began nibbling on my ear. The corset had been removed, and now Reas had begun working on my blouse.

No, no more..! I can't…

My eyes shut and I let myself drift off.

Wait, no! This isn't the time for that!

Quickly sitting up, I shouted, "Stop!"

"Eek!"

A mess of gold that was beside me tumbled to the ground along with some kind of long cloth.

"Awawawa…"

Wait, that voice.

"Asia?" I called out.

The figure under the sheet squirmed for a bit before the adorable blonde head that belongs to Asia popped out of it with a gasp.

"You scared me, Saya. I didn't expect you to scream like that," she said sheepishly, before holding out the bundle of cloth in her hands. "You were sleeping so peacefully so I brought you a blanket."

So… that was all just a…

"Did you have a bad dream, Saya?" Rias asked as she stood beside Asia with her hands on her hips.

"Ah…haha… I guess you could say that…" To be honest, it wasn't that bad… but still it really rattled me.

"Aw… you poor thing, how about I let you sleep on my lap?" Akeno asked as she sat down beside me and pat her lap.

"I could sing you a song to help you sleep," Yumi suggested.

"Would you like some snacks, too?" Koneko asked as she held out a handful of cookies.

I don't know why, but I began giggling. Yeah. This is definitely the best. This garden of flowers known as the Occult Research Club.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D

 **Endurance:** D+ (D)

 **Agility:** B

 **Magic:** E

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Nebula, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (C) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly ejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.


	13. Valentine's Special

**AN:** Here's a special chapter that I wanted to add as an omake to the next official chapter, but since I'm still working on that, I decided to release this as a standalone. Sorry for not updating consistently recently or responding to messages but I've been pretty overwhelmed with work recently. I'll try to get my chapters done as soon as I can, but until then, please enjoy this little special episode. Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me and was patient with me until now.

* * *

Love is in the air as the day for giving chocolate to your loved one nears. If Valentine's Day this year is anything like last year's I'm going to be expecting my room to be filled with a year's supply of chocolate.

A girl receiving chocolate from other girls is pretty customary in an all girl's schools. Every since I built up a positive reputation here, a sizable fan club has formed with new members joining pretty frequently. The same can be said for Rias, Akeno, Yumi, Koneko, and Kaichou.

Anyways, I overheard Rias and Asia talking about making chocolate for me at home so that kind of ruined my plans. I wanted to make some chocolate for everyone in the club, but now with my kitchen being taken over I'll need to find somewhere else to go.

And that's how I ended up at the Cooking Club's room.

"Excuse me!" I called out as I entered the room.

"Ah!" A girl with long, straight black hair turned to me as she noticed me and called out cheerfully. "Saya! Long time no see!"

Oh. Looks like she's trying to make some chocolate too.

"Hey, Yuki," I waved to the girl. "How have you been? Sorry I haven't been able to visit lately."

She's actually a pretty shy girl, but I managed to befriend her after I helped her out with some love advice. No doubt she's still trying her best to win over her crush's heart.

Yuki shook her head and put down the knife she was holding. "It's fine. I know you've probably been busy. You joined the Occult Research Club, right?"

"That's right. Do you mind if I use the kitchen for a bit?"

"Of course. You're always welcome here."

"Thanks, Yuki!"

Walking past her busy self, I set down the bag of stuff I prepared beforehand on the countertop. First, to check if I have everything.

Let's see… molds, yep, chocolate bars, yep, additional flavoring, yep, and packaging, yep. Good. Looks like I didn't forget anything. Now to actually start making it.

I started boiling some water in a pot over the stove as I unwrapped the chocolate bars from their wrappings. Once the water started boiling, I placed the bars of chocolate in a bowl on top of the pot. It's a lot easier melting store-bought chocolate than making the chocolate from cocoa powder. It also tastes better in my opinion. At the same time, I took the different flavoring oils and began heating them up in the same way.

After the chocolate had completely melted, I poured it into six other, smaller bowls. Once the oils reached an acceptable temperature, I added a different one to each of the bowls and mixed it. That's done. Now all I need to do is pour the melted chocolate into the molds.

Good thing I had prepared the molds beforehand. It had taken some time to craft the molds by hand, but I think it'll be worth it.

Alright. That's done. While walking over to the freezer I passed by Yuki who was hard at work at making a batch of chocolate from scratch. She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice me. I'd better not bother her.

Carefully placing the finished pieces into the freezer, I decided to go for a walk around the school. Since it was getting pretty late, there wasn't anybody around school grounds save for a couple of students or teachers walking around to finish whatever jobs they need to do.

That girl, Yuki. There's something about her that makes her seem she's more than what she actually lets on. The same can be said for a few other people of interest in this school. More specifically, a teacher, and two other girls whom I've all had contact with. They're definitely not Devils or anything, but there are times where they'd be all absent at the same time for a couple of weeks.

Oh well. No use thinking about it.

As I was walking, it seems like I got lost in my thoughts and ended up in front of the legendary tree of this school. Yep. The so-called tree where if you confess your love to your crush under it you'll be guaranteed a successful relationship. The tree that exists in nearly every school.

Ugh. Just thinking about it is giving me a headache. Last year I had to constantly run and hide all over the school to avoid being kidnapped and dragged to this tree. It was a hard time back then. I hope it doesn't turn out that way this year too.

Rubbing my hand on the bark of the old tree, I reminisced about my first love. An innocent, and cheerful girl, Dosey. Unfortunately, it couldn't last. But even though she turned into a monster, I still loved her all the same. In the end, though, I never really found a way to change her back even though I spent that entire life looking for one.

Jeez. Look at me. I shouldn't be lingering so much on the past. Right now, I have to focus on the people in front of me.

Checking my watch, I saw an hour had already passed. Guess I'll go check on the chocolate to see if it's ready yet.

* * *

"Saya! Please, accept this!"

"Mine too, mine too!"

"Um… H-here!"

"Me as well!"

I knew it would turn out this way. Ever since the day started, I've been constantly swamped by girls trying to give me chocolate. It's gotten even worse now that the day was finished.

All around me I could feel the envious eyes of the boys boring holes in my back. More specifically, I could feel the eyes of a certain pair of perverts burning exceptionally hot.

"Kuh! Look at her… Even though she's a girl…"

"That smug smile is… is…"

Next to me, Asia was also getting some chocolates herself. Except, she looks like she's about to overload with the amount of attention she was getting. Guess it's up to me to get us out of this, huh?

Grabbing Asia's hand and tucking the boxes of chocolates under my other arm, I quickly dragged her out of the mass of swarming girls.

"Aaahhh! Look, over there!"

Crap. The hallways are too dangerous to stay in. We have to get somewhere safe and private.

"Asia, hold on tight, okay?"

"R-Right!" She nodded and gripped my hand tightly.

Running through the hallways being chased by fangirls, we occasionally ducked into adjacent classrooms and mingled with crowds in order to lose them until finally, we reached behind the old school building.

Asia was panting heavily by the time we lost our pursuers.

"Asia, are you okay?" I asked while rubbing her head.

"Y-Yes… Um… I just need… some rest…" She said in between breaths.

As I waited for her to recover, I placed all the chocolates I received into my Vault. It sure is convenient to have a storage space whenever I need to.

"Thank you for helping me. This Valentine's Day is kind of scary…" Asia commented.

"Ahaha… Well, not all places are as hectic as this. It's mostly just because you've gotten so popular after you entered the school."

The former nun tilted her head in question. "Eh? I'm popular?"

Wow. She hasn't noticed at all, huh?

"That's right. It's because you're so cute."

"Awawawa!" Asia's entire face turned red at my compliment.

She really is adorable like this.

She also began fidgeting and pulling at the hem of her skirt.

"Um… S-saya..?" She said in a meek voice.

"Hm? Yes? What is it?"

"I… Well… I-I have something to give you…"

Ah, here it is. I've been looking forward to this ever since I overheard her and Rias talking about it.

Of course, I feigned ignorance. "Oh? What is it?"

"Um… H-Here!" She squeaked while holding out a heart-shaped box. "I-I made this for you!"

I took the box with a smile and pat her head. "Thank you, Asia! I also have something for you, too."

"Eh? You do?"

"Yep, here."

I took out a green box wrapped up with a blue ribbon from my bag and handed it to her. "It's chocolate. I made it myself."

A happy smile spread across her face and she took the box excitedly and hugged it to her chest.

"Thank you so much!" She said as she beamed up to me.

Ah, that smile of hers is so beautiful.

Feeling a presence near us, I quickly glanced behind me to see a head of white disappear around the corner. Ah… Looks like I'll need to cut my time short with Asia.

Clearing my throat, I quickly pecked Asia's forehead. "Sorry, but I need to do some things so can you go to the club room first?"

"Alright!" Nodding happily, she ran off into the old school building.

After making sure that she was out of earshot, I called out to my stalker. "Koneko, you don't have to hide, you know."

The young girl walked out from behind the corner and stared at me with a slight pout.

Sighing, I took out a white box wrapped with a pink ribbon and waved her over. Once she saw the box, her eyes immediately lit up and she slowly made her way over to me.

"Here," I said while holding out the box. "It's for you."

"Senpai… Th-thank you…" She said shyly as she took the box.

I could tell she was trying her best not to smile. Maybe I should break her out of her shell a bit.

"You don't have to hide it when you're happy, you know. But, well, that part of you is adorable as well," I said while patting her head.

Koneko's body stiffened up and she quickly turned her head away.

"I-Idiot…" she muttered before she sprinted away.

Well, at least she's happy. I'm sure she'll enjoy the little twist I added to the chocolate. Now, taking out the four remaining boxes, I began searching for the others.

I found Xenovia being swamped by a group of girls all trying to shove boxes into her hands. Wow. She's certainly gotten popular pretty fast. I squeezed through the crowd and grabbed her hand and did the same as I did for Asia.

"Sorry for troubling you, Saya," Xenovia said while bowing her head once we had made it to safety.

"Don't worry about it, Xenovia. We're friends, after all," I replied with a smile.

"To think that Japanese culture can be so terrifying… It seems I still have much to learn."

Oh dear… Looks like she's got the wrong idea about Valentines' Day.

"Well, um… don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get used to it next year."

"Yes. I hope so. This entire day has been a challenge to get through."

Ugh. Jeez. I don't really know how to approach her. Should I just give her the chocolate without any pretense?

"Ahem…" I cleared my throat and held out the blue box with a yellow ribbon for her. "Well… This is for you, Xenovia."

"A present?" She asked as she tilted her head. "It isn't my birthday, and it definitely isn't Christmas. What's this for?"

Man. She's pretty dense, isn't she?

"It's for Valentine's Day. Valentine's. You know. It's chocolate."

"Hm? But isn't Valentine's chocolate usually reserved for one's loved one?"

This is getting kind of tough. The longer I stay here, the more uncomfortable I feel under her intense gaze. Not once has she broken eye contact with me, and she's kept a constant expression throughout our whole conversation. What is this feeling?

"Um… W-well… Yes, it is."

I couldn't think of anything to say. More and more, I'm feeling like a young maiden confessing to her first love.

"I see… So that means you hold feelings for me. Thank you."

She took the box from me and smiled. Ugh… These confident alpha types always get to me.

"A-Anyways! Um… I'll see you later at the club room!" I said before quickly running away.

Once I was a safe distance away, I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

"Saya~."

"Eek!"

I shrieked out loud as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull into somebody's chest.

"A-Akeno? Is that you?"

"Ufufufu. I'm happy that you recognized me just from my voice and my body."

I tried struggling out of grasp, but she just pulled me in closer to her.

"Now, now. Be a good girl and stay like this okay? I want to keep you to myself for a little bit."

Where did she even come from? I should've sensed her approaching me from behind.

After some time passed, I was beginning to get a bit uncomfortable.

"Um… Akeno… Can you let go now?" I asked.

"Aw… But I wanted to keep holding you for a bit longer. You let Buchou do it to you, don't you?"

Ugh. I can't argue with that…

"Well… Yeah…"

"Ufufu. Alright, I'll let you go. I've had my share of fun. Besides, you have some more packages to deliver, don't you?"

Akeno withdrew her arms and stepped back before taking out a small, plain box and holding it out for me.

"Huh? Is this for me?" I asked while taking the box.

"Of course. I made it especially for you. I hope you enjoy it," Akeno replied with a kind smile.

I see. So it wasn't just Rias and Asia.

"Thank you, Akeno!" I said while holding out my own gift for her. "Here. I made this for you as well."

"Ara, thank you, Saya. I'll be sure to have it later," she said before walking away and shooting me a wink. "I'll be waiting for you in the club room."

Alright. Two more left to go. Wandering around school grounds again, I found Yumi hiding out in a storage shed.

"Saya? I guess you and I had the same idea," she said once she saw me.

"Yep, and wow. That is a lot of chocolate," I commented after seeing the huge pile of boxes beside her.

"Ahah… Yeah, this?" She gestured to the boxes with a tired smile. "It was like this last year as well."

Nodding, I sat down beside her. "Mhm. I know how that feels."

We basked in the silence for a while.

"Hey, Saya. This kind of reminds me of the time we hid in the shed during the Rating Game," Yumi said suddenly.

That's right. We did do that, didn't we?

"Yeah, and we fooled around acting like a knight and a princess in there."

"Mhm."

That was a nice reprieve from the stress of fighting. Just like how this is a nice reprieve from the stress of running from fangirls.

"You know. I think I understand now why Buchou and Asia likes you so much, now," Yumi commented.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Yumi turned to me and stared directly into my eyes. "You're kind, you're strong, you're brave, and you care for your comrades. After the holy sword incident, I finally realized those traits of yours. Before, I had to act to seem like I was having fun, but you were the one that actually made me laugh and smile the most. So, for that, thank you."

With each compliment she gave me I could feel my face getting warmer and warmer. Just like Xenovia, Yumi's eyes held a certain intenseness that made my heart skip a beat.

"Um… Thanks, I guess…"

I didn't know what to say back to that. As my mind was racing to try to find a proper response, I felt a pair of lips press into mine.

Y-Yumi?!

It was a soft, and gentle kiss, filled with the feelings Yumi held.

After pulling away, she grinned and stood up while brushing the dust from her pants.

"I'll be taking this," she said while holding the box of chocolates that I made for her before leaving the storage shed.

Feeling a small object in my hand, I looked down and saw a small heart-shaped box.

Well, isn't she the smooth one?

Standing up and fixing my skirt, I left the shed with the feeling of Yumi's lips still lingering on mine.

Rias is the only one left, now.

I found Rias waiting for me in the club room. Looks like the others aren't here yet. Well, that works out for me.

"Hm? Saya? You're the only one here? I thought the others would be with you," she asked as I entered the club room.

"I thought they'd all be here already. I met them all outside." I replied while looking at the closed door behind me.

"Well, whatever. This is perfect. I won't have to wait to give you your chocolate," she said while beckoning me. "Why don't you come over?"

I walked over to her and stood in front of her. The setting sun streamed through the windows and created a somewhat romantic mood.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Saya."

She smiled as she held out a red box.

Taking the box and holding it to my heart, I gave her my gift.

"Yes. Happy Valentine's Day, Rias."

I breathed contentedly as she embraced me in her arms. We stayed like that for a while. I don't know how long, but it didn't matter. At that moment, it was just the two of us.

"Muu…"

Huh? What's that sound, turning my head, I noticed Asia poking her head through the door with an adorable pout. Under her was Koneko who was pouting as well, and on top of them were the other three, all with varying expressions. Akeno had that teasing smile, Yumi had a look of determination, while Xenovia had a… is that jealousy?

"Uh… Rias?" I muttered.

"Hm? What is it?"

"The others are watching."

"I know."

Wait, she knows?

"Then does that mean..?"

"Mhm. Just for today, it's the two of us."

Ah… I see. She planned this out. Well, I guess this is fine.

And so, Rias and I spent the rest of Valentine's Day together as a couple.

* * *

 **Extra Episode**

The day after Valentine's I was left with about another year's supply of chocolates.

"Well… I guess I'll start getting through it now," I said to myself while taking the chocolates Asia had made for me. Each of them was in the shape of a small heart while the taste was nothing too special. Except, I could feel the amount of love she poured into each individual piece. All-in-all it was an enjoyable experience.

Next, Yumi's chocolate. It was a single piece of what looked like extremely expensive dark chocolate made by some expert craftsmen. Jeez. It looks so good that I almost don't want to eat it, but… That would be rude to Yumi.

"Hah~…"

I let out a delighted moan as the rich flavor assaulted my taste buds. How amazing. I can't believe that Yumi made this herself.

Taking a sip of water to clear my palette, I pulled out Akeno's box. Well, this one looks really good too. It was a small piece, similar to Yumi's but slightly bigger. It was also in a heart shape. Considering how good Akeno is at just making tea, this must be amazing, right?

I popped the entire piece into my mouth and chewed. Yep. It's amazing-

Oh god.

My mouth, throat and nose were suddenly engulfed by an intense burning feeling.

Water! I need water!

I downed the glass of water next to me, but the burning persisted.

What the hell?! Why was the inside of the chocolate filled with wasabi?!

I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!

"Hey, Saya, are you alright?"

Rias stepped into my room at that moment and saw me in my panicked state.

Tears were streaming down my face and my mouth was hanging open with my tongue sticking out.

"Riaaaas!" I cried while running into her arms. "Help me!"

"S-Saya?! What's wrong?!"

"Burning! I'm burning up!"

She didn't seem to understand me at first, as shown by her thinking face.

"Aha!" She suddenly snapped her fingers and picked me up before placing me on the bed. "My, my, Saya. I didn't think you'd be so desperate for my embrace. How lewd."

Eh? Wait, no! That's not it! It's water! I need water!

I desperately shook my head and tried to say something, but my entire mouth felt numb by now.

Stop, no, Rias! Don't kiss me or you'll-

It was too late. Rias' eyes shot open in shock before she hastily pulled away.

"Wh-what is this?! Why are my nose and throat burning?!"

Rias… I'm sorry, but I tried to warn you.

For some reason. I can see an image of Akeno giggling into her hand at our misfortune.

In the end, we had to get Asia to heal us in order to recover.


	14. Three Faction Conference 1

**AN:** A new chapter after a short study break. Not much to say except please enjoy the light-hearted chapter.

* * *

It's been a few days since the incident with Kokabiel, and life resumed to normality. Or at least I thought so until I found a certain blue-haired exorcist sitting and drinking tea in the club room with our school uniform on.

"Uh… Xenovia? Why are you still here?" I asked.

Putting down the cup of tea, Xenovia stood up and subsequently, grew a pair of bat-like wings.

Okay. I'm not seeing things am I? I'm not dreaming am I?

Before I could ask, she started speaking.

"Ever since I found out that God was dead, I began questioning my belief. After much debate, I decided to become a Devil," she explained. "So from now on, I will be attending this school as a second year student."

That… has to be one of the most drastic heel-turns I've ever seen. A once devout Christian becoming a Devil over the course of three days? Well, if I was her and found out that God was long gone before I was even born I would probably lose faith as well.

"Alright, so what piece are you?"

"Buchou granted me the Knight piece, just like Yumi."

Really? I had thought a Rook piece would suit her better. But then again, she can already wield that massive Durandal of hers with no problem as a human. So a speed boost with that sword would be pretty deadly.

"Ah, that's right. Where's Irina?"

Come to think of it, I haven't seen her the past few days either.

"Irina's gone back to headquarters to report that the mission was a success with the Excalibur fragments. I would've gone back too if it weren't for the fact that the higher-ups shunned me when I mentioned God's death." Xenovia rubbed her arm and looked at the floor. "Since Irina wasn't there to hear about the truth, her faith wasn't shattered."

Irina did have a stronger belief than Xenovia to start with. If she found out her entire psyche might break.

"Anyways," Rias interrupted our conversation. "The ordeal regarding Kokabiel is over now with minimal casualties thanks to the assistance of the Vanishing Dragon. Due to the recent actions of Kokabiel, the governor of the Fallen Angels, Azazel called for a meeting between the leaders of the three factions. Although I don't think it's for an apology."

Vanishing Dragon, White Dragon Emperor, or Valerie. I can't… Why can't I think up of any countermeasures to fight her? No matter what method I come up with it gets instantly quashed by that ridiculous power. If I use the true form of the Dimensional Ruler, she'll just steal half that power for herself. This really seems impossible. How am I supposed to match against somebody who can steal power from others?! Wait. Couldn't she also have a limit to how much power her body could hold?

 **[Yep. You got it, Partner.]**

" _Wait, so if I just overload her she'll self-destruct?"_

 **[I mean, I'd like to think that your rival would be smarter than that, but yes.]**

Huh, that's a relief. That means I still have trumps I can use.

Well, there's no use thinking about it right now. I'll have to keep training until I can properly match up to her.

* * *

You know, the whole bathing together thing really has been stereotyped to all hell. That doesn't mean the stereotype isn't real though. Asia and I constantly bathed together ever since she began living here, but Rias just found out and decided to insert herself in as well. Luckily, our bathroom was rather big so we didn't have to worry about too much crowding.

Sinking into the bathtub, I let my thoughts drift off as the two outside washed each other. It's been a while since I had been able to relax and take a load off like this. Having all of these new friends kind of makes me miss my old ones. Somehow, I wish I could stay in contact with them but… they're all dead now. Either passed away from old age, or killed during our journey together. Being omnipotent, I guess I could revive them, but that's also kind of selfish. Using my powers just so I can be happy isn't how I want to live. A hero… Yeah. I want to be a hero. That's always been my dream. I don't care if I don't get any recognition for what I did. All I want is to help people and save the world.

I began tracing small circles in the water with my finger while watching Rias and Asia flirt with each other. They sure seem like they're having fun. Leaning over the edge of the bathtub I continue to watch them. Rias sure does have nice skin. Asia as well. I don't know if that's a side effect of being a Devil, or not. As for me, I kind of cheat a bit in terms of my looks. Of course, I can't look too perfect or it'll be suspicious. That's why… That's why… Even if it pains me, I haven't increased my bust size at all. Almost as flat as a board. Yep. Compared to the girls surrounding me I'm severely lacking. Even to Asia. She's grown, hasn't she? It looks like she did. A centimetre. That looks like an extra centimetre. I don't know whether I should be proud, or angry.

And Rias… Seeing her completely naked in the light like this really accentuated her curves. From her chest, to her hips, to her thighs; they all have a dangerously seductive charm to them. To think that she would have such adult charms at such an early age compared to me. It's not just her, though. Akeno has that sort of feel too.

I sighed. Looks like Koneko's the only one who can understand my pain.

"Oh my, Asia. Looks like Saya's getting a bit jealous of you."

"Ah, S-saya, don't be sad! Buchou was just helping me wash my back."

Feeling my face begin to heat up, I quickly turned away and sank back down into the water. Jeez. I can't believe I spaced out while staring at them. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the sight of both of them entering the bathtub.

"H-hold on, you two! I don't think this is big enough to fit all three of us!" I tried to warn them.

Rias just gave me a mischievous smile before sitting on my lap and pressing her body against me. "I'm sure we can fit like this."

She "mistakenly" pushed her breasts into my face while straddling me, effectively burying me with those mounds of fat.

"Mmf! Mmmm!" I tried struggling out of her grasp to no avail. Rias held strong and kept me in her chest.

"B-Buchou! That's not fair!"

Suddenly, I felt a small pair of arms wrap around me and try to pull me away from my prison. Since I couldn't see, the feeling of Asia's hand sliding across my body felt a bit too stimulating.

This was seriously dangerous. In more ways than one. My sanity meter is… If I don't get out of this situation soon then I might lose control.

Hey, wait, Asia, that's my tail! D-Don't touch that!

B-Buchou?! Not there! Where the hell do you think you're rubbing, you pervert?!

Ah... Hold on.

I can't breathe… Gotta tap out...

I was frantically thrashing around now. The girls, however, seemed to be completely oblivious to my plight as they kept on arguing over me.

Is this how I die? Suffocation from breasts? Well, I suppose there are worse ways to go.

There it is. I'm beginning to lose consciousness. Oh boy, I think maybe I should set up a schedule on who gets to bathe with me on certain days. I really don't think I can survive if this happens every day.

* * *

And so, the weeks passed without much else happening and the seasons changed from spring to summer. Oh summer, the season of hopes and dreams. The season where I should be outside enjoying the wonderful, crisp, night air. I should be but…

Crap! What the hell?! Why is this guy so good?

The room was filled with the frantic clacking of buttons and sound effects as I battled against who is probably my most problematic opponent yet.

"Hoho, what's wrong, Saya? You just gonna let me land those hits on you?"

My opponent broke through my guard with a sweep before proceeding to improvise a combo together.

"Gr… Shut up, old man..! I'm not about to lose to you!"

Taking advantage of an opening, I pressured back with my own string.

"Not bad, well how about this?"

Gaining some distance, he began throwing projectiles at me.

"Hah! You think I didn't see that coming? I know how to read you after playing against you for so long?"

Exploiting the invincibility frames of the super, I used it to close the distance and land a solid hit.

"Well, well, not bad, Red Dragon Emperor."

Huh?

"K.O."

That momentary loss of concentration was all that was needed for the middle-aged man sitting next to me to take the match.

"Hey! That's not fair!" I complained as I set down the controller.

The man laughed heartily. "Hahaha! That's all you have to say after what I just said? You really are an interesting Devil."

"Hmph, well," I stood up and stretched my arms and legs. "I already knew you were the leader of the Fallen Angels, Azazel."

The Fallen Angel smiled. "You did some research on me, then?"

I grinned back. "Something about you struck me as odd when you first contracted me."

Well, it was actually Ddraig that recognized him. But really, to think that Azazel would be so different from Kokabiel. He's nothing like I imagined. He's contracted me almost every day and all we've been doing is wasting time doing mundane things together. He's like a carefree uncle. We've gone fishing together, played Shogi, went to karaoke, played video games, etc. etc.

"Interesting, very interesting," the Azazel chuckled. "How about another game before you finish up here? I'll even pay you some extra."

"Extra, huh? Considering how much you pay me already there's no way I can turn you down. I also still have to pay you back for that win you stole from me."

To be honest, I really enjoyed his company. It was a nice break away from school. Other than Rias, this guy's been the only person who's been able to keep up with me in almost everything. Everything we did always became some sort of competition. Even cooking. Ah… I still kind of feel bad for almost burning down his kitchen. Emphasis on kind of. He was the one who exploded a bag of flour all over me after all. I think I'm fairly justified in my revenge.

Ahem.

Anyways, we started up another game, this time a plat former. I've honestly haven't had this much fun in a while. I don't care what anyone says, but I think Azazel is a pretty cool guy. There really aren't enough powerful beings in the universe like him that just lounge around most of the time. Everyone just has to have some kind of ambition.

We continued to play a whole assortment of games for the rest of the night until it was extremely late. In hindsight, that might not have been a good idea.

* * *

The very next day, I walked into the club room looking half-dead. By the time I got home it was already five in the morning so I hadn't been able to get any sleep. Luckily, I had some instant energy pills that got me through most of the school day, but the side effect was that it just made me even more sleepy when the effects wore off. Jeez. I can't believe that I went a whole month without sleep while constantly on the run and fighting for my life. Guess I kind of let myself get lazy over the years.

"Hey, everyone," I greeted as energetically as I could.

Rias' head immediately perked up when she heard me. "Saya, there you are. Come over here, please."

She patted her lap and motioned for me to lay down on it.

Er… okay?

I did as I was told and made myself comfortable.

"You look exhausted, Saya. Does this have something to do with why you came back so late yesterday?" She asked as she lightly stroked my head.

Geh. She knew? I thought I covered by tracks pretty well.

"Ahaha… About that…"

"Well? Aren't you going to tell me about it?"

Her hand kept up the gentle motions, occasionally rubbing my ears, and brushing my hair.

"I just lost track of the time with my client is all. Besides, he paid me extra so shouldn't it be fine?"

"Mhm. And who was your client, anyways?"

Crap. Should I tell her? This is a Fallen Angel we're talking about. How will she react?

"Um... I don't know. He never told me his name," I answered

Which is true. He never personally told me his name.

"Oh... Is that so?"

Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine as Rias' hand stopped moving.

"You couldn't be lying to me, could you?" She said with a dangerous tone. "It's funny since the leader of the Fallen Angels, Azazel, contacted us and specifically mentioned your name. More importantly, he mentioned how you kept him company for the past week or so."

That old man! What's he thinking? I specifically told him to not announce his presence here!

"It seems some discipline is necessary to teach you to not lie to your Master, Saya."

Rias' hands slowly began tracing circles around my ears. This evil woman! She knows I hate it when she does that!

"Well now, it seems I might be interrupting something good here."

Wait, who's that?

Before I can lift up my head to look at who the new voice belonged to, Rias rolled me off of her lap as she stood up.

"B-big brother?!"

Ugh, ow... landed on my face. Climbing back to my feet, I stared at red-haired man. Wait, isn't that the current Lucifer?

All around me the other club members went down to their knees except Asia and me. Asia hurriedly went to copy the others and I quickly followed after picking myself back up. He didn't really strike me as the type of person to want people to bend the knee for him, but I guess this is more of tradition thing.

"Now, now. There's no need for that," the Maou said. "Please, stand up."

Doing as we were told, all of us got up, but a somewhat tense atmosphere still circled around us.

Sensing the atmosphere, Sirzechs smiled and clapped his hands. "Well, classroom visits are coming up soon right? I can't wait to see how my cute little sister is in class," he announced cheerfully.

"Wh-what? How do you know about that?" Rias asked.

Her older brother glanced behind him at Grayfia who had remained silent until now.

"So it was you, Grayfia."

The maid nodded at the accusation. "That's right. I am the one in charge of dealing these affairs after all."

Rias sighed, and rubbed her forehead. Guess she's not that fond of the idea of having her older brother watching her in school.

"Ah, in addition, father will be coming over as well," Sirzechs added.

Her dad, huh. Now that I think about it. I haven't exactly introduced myself properly to her family.

"Father, too?!" Rias looked extremely surprised about this. "I can understand father coming, but don't you have your duties as a Maou to fulfill?"

To this, Sirzechs grinned, and his eyes gave off a mischievous glint. "Why, this is part of my duties. I'm coming to observe the meeting place for the conference that is about to take place."

Conference. Does he mean that conference? The whole meeting between the three factions? It's going to be here? In this school? Isn't that a bit... I would've expected the meeting to take place on some kind of neutral ground.

"Wait, the conference is taking place here?" Rias asked as if she didn't believe it.

"Of course," Sirzechs answered. "This place was where the incident with Kokabiel took place. Besides, this place is a gathering of extremely interesting powers. The Red Dragon Emperor, a holy-demon sword user, the Durandal's wielder, and Leviathan's little sister. Without a doubt, it is your presence here that is causing these powers to congregate."

He directed that last sentence at me. Well, Ddraig did warn me that his power would attract all kinds of people to me. What am I even supposed to say to reply to that?

"Um... Thanks? I guess?" I said when nothing came to mind.

Wow. That's kind of pathetic.

"Haha, well, now that I've finished my visit for now, we should be off to find somewhere to stay for the duration. Would you have any recommendations, Saya?"

Eh? He's asking me? Glancing at Rias I saw her silently shaking her head and pleading to me with her eyes. She really doesn't want him to stay with us, huh? At the same time, I could see the same mishevious glint in Sirzechs' eyes. For some reason, I just can't seem to resist that playful side of him. Maybe this can be my chance to get back at Rias.

Sharing a quick, mental link with the Maou, I smiled and offered. "If that's the case, why don't you come over and stay with us for the time being?"

* * *

"And so, the two of us will be in your care."

"Oh come on. There's no need for you to be so polite. Rias has become like a part of our family now after all!"

The one in question's face immediately reddened at my dad's off-handed comment.

"So I take it that she hasn't been causing you any trouble?"

"My, no, no, not at all! She's been wonderful to have staying with us!"

My parents certainly are taking this very well. I was wondering if having two extra tenants under our roof would be a good idea, but it looks like my worries were unfound.

"So," my mother turned her attention at Grayfia who was standing beside and slightly behind Sirzechs. "Are you..?"

Before Grayfia could answer, Sirzechs butted in with his own. "Yep. She's my wife."

Ah... for some reason, I kind of expected that. There are stories of how the wife of a rich aristocrat would dress as a servant in order to perform chores around the house. Huh. I can't seem to remember where I read about that, though.

As he said that, Grayfia immediately went over to Sirzechs' side and began pinching his cheek.

"My name is Grayfia, and I am a maid," she said, putting emphasis on "maid". "Please, do not mind my master's jokes."

Well, I don't really think most maids would go pinching their masters. Looks like I managed to find out that Grayfia has a "tsun" side to her and isn't just a "kuu".

"Oowww! Glaefa, it huwts!"

As the great Maou was being chastised by his wife, Rias simply just held her face in her hands in embarrassment. Man. This place is going to get really noisy now, isn't it? Well at least nobody else is going to move in.

Just like this, with us all seated around the table, we talked and talked until the sun went down.

After we took a bath, we were getting ready to sleep until we heard a knock on the door.

"Yes? Come in!" I called out as I finished putting on my pyjamas.

Opening the door, to my surprise Sirzechs entered with a bright smile. "Good evening, you three. Excuse me but I was wondering if I could get Saya to myself for tonight."

Huh? No, hold on. Wait. There's no way he means it in that way, right?

"What are you saying, big brother?!"

Looks like Rias isn't having any of it. Considering how dependant how she is on hugging me when we sleep, I was kind of worried whether she'd be okay or not. In fact, her expression looked like she was expecting the world to end.

"Sorry, Rias, but I want to chat with her before going to bed," he said while holding a futon.

Asia seems like she's torn between listening to the Maou's request and wanting to be selfish. Seeing no other way out of this, I lightly pat her head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Its fine you two. Can you two sleep in your own rooms just for tonight?"

At my request, Rias' expression dropped even further.

"If you say so, Saya..." she mumbled as she hugged me. "Will you be okay without me sleeping with you?"

Jeez. She's making it look like I'm the one dependent on her.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," I answered.

Letting go of me, Rias waved at me before leaving the room along with Grayfia.

"Um... goodnight, Saya. I'll see you tomorrow," Asia said sadly before going across the hall into her own room which she never uses.

Now it was just the Maou and me in my room. Even though he had kept his friendly presence on, I could still feel the insane pressure of his power. It was on par with Sara's power.

I climbed into my bed as he set down the futon and lied on top of it.

"So, I heard you met Azazel," he said as I switched the lights off.

"That's right."

Is this really what he wanted to talk about? Seems kind of pointless. Nonetheless, I decided to play along.

"Has he said anything worrying to you?"

"Not really. We just messed around together."

"I see..."

I could tell he wanted to say something more than that, but he kept silent for a while.

"Did you know?" He started again. "Azazel has an interest in powerful Sacred Gears. As you probably he know, he has your counterpart on his side."

The Vanishing Dragon, Valliere. That girl seemed like she had a huge head start. That anticipation of having to fight her is making me feel all jittery.

"Of course, I won't let him take you away from us," he continued. "Given how important you've become to my little sister, there's no way I can allow you to disappear."

What he said made a warm feeling rise up in my chest. It was another reassurance that I didn't have to fight alone anymore.

"Sirzechs... Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. It's the least I can do to repay you for bringing so much joy to Rias' life. Can I count on you to continue to look after her?"

"Of course," I answered immediately. "Even if I have to make the entire world my enemy, I'll protect her to my very last breath."

The Maou gave a small chuckle. "That's a good answer."

Silence washed over us, and I was just about to drift off to sleep until the Maou said something so outrageous that I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked for him to repeat himself.

"I said its fine for you to call me big brother like Rias does."

Eh?

So he did...

I did hear correctly the first time.

Bolting upright, I stared at the grinning man lying on the futon. "Wh-wh-what are you saying all of a sudden?!"

Continuing to smile, he winked and closed his eyes. "Good night, my future little sister."

I lay back down and pulled the sheets up to my face. Big brother... Big bro... I... Never had an older brother before... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

With my heart warm, I closed my eyes and fell into what was probably one of the best sleeps I've had in a while.

* * *

The days went by during big b – Sirzech's – stay at our house. During the time, he said he wanted to go out and scout the area. In actuality, we were just sightseeing. Turns out, because he's a Maou, he never really gets the time to have fun like this. That observation was further strengthened when he began running around the town to all kinds of arcades and fast food restaurants to gather information on them so he could start opening them down in the Underworld.

After a few days passed, Sirzechs and Grayfia left our house, saying that they had some business to take care of.

And so, here we were, heading to school on a holiday. Along the way we met up with Xenovia who had started living in a nearby apartment. I have no idea why Rias didn't just move her in with us like she did Asia. Maybe she's just worried about more rivals.

As we were walking, Asia and Xenovia began animatedly chatting about their schoolwork. Being both foreigners and devout believers turned Devil, they shared a lot in common which helped them bond easily.

My thoughts began to wander as me made our way to the school. The pool, huh? We were told by the student council to clean the pool in exchange for getting first dibs. I mean, it's nice and all, but I've never really been one to wear swimsuits... And just the thought of seeing everyone around me in swimsuits is... it fills me with a sense of defeat. Just the other day, Rias showed off the new swimsuit she bought. To be honest, she'd be covering more skin by just wearing her lingerie.

Finally getting to the school, we met up with the others and quickly changed into our gym uniforms. It didn't take very long to clean the pool. In fact, with the help of Rias' and Akeno's magic it took no time at all.

The fun was finally ready to begin. It's been so long since I last played in the pool.

Quickly changing into my school swimsuit, I shot out the door to the changing rooms, did my stretches and dived into the pool.

Ah... The cold water rushing all around me... This feels like travelling between worlds. Weightless and flying through the universe.

Breaking out of the surface, I began floating on my back an enjoying the feeling of the sun shining down on me. The door opening caught the corner of my eye and I swam to the edge of the pool and waited for the others to come out.

The first was Rias who came out wearing a white two-piece. The bikini hugged her form extremely well and did justice for her curves. Next was Akeno who had a mature-looking blue and red bikini. Hm... She's giving Rias a run for her money with that body. Oh, looks like Asia and Koneko were coming out now. Both were wearing school swimsuits like me, except for some reason, Asia has her name written on the front. Also, unlike everybody else, Koneko has a swim cap on. Ah... How adorable. I just want to cuddle up with them and hug them!

Let's see... Here comes Yumi and Xenovia. Yumi had on a one-piece swim dress with an open back. Xenovia, on the other hand wore a green bikini that was completely unexpected. I had thought she'd where something more conservative like Yumi, but... wow.

Somehow... I feel like a dirty old man for staring at them like this...

Well, whatever. It's time to cut loose and have some fun!

"Hey everyone, hurry up!" I called out to them with a wave.

Smiling, Rias shook her head playfully.

"I didn't think you'd be this excited for this," she said. "Well, anyways. I'm counting on you to help Koneko."

Help her? With what?

The girl in question stepped forward with a light blush adorning her cheeks, and requested in a small voice. "C-Can you teach me how to swim?"

I see. So that's what Rias meant.

Nodding, I held out my hands for Koneko to take. "Of course. Come on in."

"Saya, do you mind if you taught me as well?" Asia asked as well.

"Alright, after I help Koneko out a bit, I'll teach you, too."

I actually take pride in my well-rounded physical ability. Whether it's in sprints, marathons, obstacle courses, swimming, or mountain-climbing, I'm fairly proficient in all of them.

My underclassmen grabbed my hands and slowly lowed herself into the pool.

"Alright Koneko, I want you to float on your front and start kicking your legs. Make sure you don't bend your knees too much, and don't do it too hard. Small movements," I coached as I floated out away from the edge.

Over to the side, Rias, Akeno, Yumi, and Xenovia started a small race while Asia sat by the edge near Koneko and I.

"You can do it, Koneko!" Asia cheered.

I continued to encourage Koneko as she paddled with her feet while trying to keep her head above the water. Every so often, her mouth would dip in, and she'd need to take small, careful breaths to avoid swallowing a mouthful of water. It was honestly adorable to see her working so hard.

"Sorry for asking you to help me..." Koneko managed to say in between breaths.

"No, don't worry about it. It's my duty to help you as an upperclassman," I said with a smile. "And besides, I just can't say no to someone as cute as you."

"Bwah?!"

It took a moment for me to realize what I just said.

I can't believe I just said that out loud. Why did I say that? How did something like that slip out?

"Ah, Koneko! Th-that was just... well... um..." I struggled to try to find the right words to express myself.

"... Thank you..."

Eh?

All of a sudden, my back collided against the edge of the pool, and Koneko's face ran into my chest.

"K-Koneko! Are you okay?"

The girl didn't respond. In fact, she kept her head down.

"Um... Koneko..?"

"Idiot..." I heard her mutter.

She let go of me, and grabbed the edge of the pool before pulling herself out.

Was that a blush on her face?

Hah... Jeez. When it comes to actually saying embarrassing things, it's hard to keep a straight face. Especially around friends.

Well, I guess I'll help Asia out now.

* * *

Stretching, I relaxed under the shade and let out a content sigh. Asia was sleeping contently beside me and Koneko was reading a book. This kind of peaceful everyday life definitely can't be taken for granted. But... What do I do with my love life? I've already decided to be with Rias, but... I've promised Asia I'd be by her side, and now I don't doubt Yumi would start seriously competing for me as well. Polygamy is definitely a solution but it'll also cause a lot of problems. What to do, what to do... I've never really had a problem like this to deal with before. All of my previous relationships were all monogamous. Should I just pick one of them and be happy? I feel like spreading my feelings out to all of them would be too much of a cop out. What to do...

Actually, why am I even thinking about this? More often than not I've just done everything impulsively. Yeah. I won't bother thinking too much into it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Rias waving me over while holding some kind of bottle. What does she need?

I stood up and checked on Asia to see that she was still asleep. She really worked hard back there.

"Hey, did you call for me?" I asked as I walked up to Rias' prone form.

"Yeah, do you mind applying this oil onto my back?" She asked, while holding out the bottle.

Ah... so that's it.

Special beauty oil? Does she really need to use something like this? Well, not having to worry about my skin, and my looks makes it so I don't know much about skincare products.

"Sure," I nodded and got on my knees.

She already undid her top and was lying on her stomach with her hair pushed out of the way. Looks like she was completely expecting me to just obey her, huh?

I don't know much in the ways of massage therapy, but I'll at least try to make this feel good for her. I can imagine her shoulders and back getting really stiff every day.

Rubbing some of the oil onto my hands, I first began spreading it all around her back. Her already smooth skin was made even smoother from the slipperiness of the oil. After that, I began to massage her shoulders. Is this right? Maybe I should do it a bit harder.

"Mm!"

"Ah, sorry! Did that hurt?"

"N-no. It's just... you're surprisingly good at this."

Okay. Got it. You know, this is actually kind of fun.

I moved my hands lower and started rubbing up and down her back while applying a bit of pressure. Everytime Rias would make a sound, I would double my efforts and change techniques. Sometimes, I would knead her soft body, sometimes I would lightly drum on her back. Before long, I had completely invested myself into making her feel better.

"Where did you learn how to do this?"

"Well I'm kind of just playing it by ear right now."

"Ara, how skillful if you're able to do that."

Eh? That's not Rias' voice. Before I could turn around to see who it was, I felt a pair of bare breasts pressed against my back.

"Ufufu, it's not fair that Buchou's the only one getting all the attention," Akeno said teasingly while drenching my back in oil. "I'll get lonely..."

"Hya!"

I let out a strange voice as I felt Akeno blow into my ear. My entire body was shaking at the combined stimulation of her body rubbing against mine, and her assault on my ear.

"A-Akeno... Stop..."

Slowly, her hands began travelling around my waist and started gliding all over my body. It seems like Rias still hasn't noticed that anything was wrong.

"Come on, Saya. If your hands stop for too long, Buchou might get suspicious."

Crap... This is... With shaky hands, I resumed Rias' massage while Akeno continued with mine. The way she used her hands and body held an obvious erotic undertone. At the same time, I was getting a small thrill from this. What would happen if Rias saw us like this?

Am I a pervert for thinking this way?

"Wait, Akeno, I-I..."

I need to get her to stop! This is way too stimulating! If this doesn't end soon I feel like I'm going to lose my mind!

"Say, Saya," Akeno breathed. "Why don't you come have an affair with me?"

An affair..? No, stop! I need to clear my mind!

"Well, Saya?"

Her hands began getting even more lecherous, rubbing sensitive areas all over my body while simultaneously avoiding the parts I desperately want her to touch. If this doesn't end soon... I'll... I'll...

"Akeno... Saya..."

Ah. That was Rias, wasn't it?

Glancing down I noticed that my hands at stopped moving and were now wrapped around Akeno's trying to pry her off. It was then that I noticed how this situation must've looked to her. My hair was dishevelled, my swimsuit's straps were halfway down my arms, I was breathing heavily, and my face was probably extremely red.

"What are you two doing..?"

I'm dead, aren't I? If not right now, then tonight. I'm gonna die today.

"Ara, ara, Buchou. Don't mind us. Saya and I are just having a bit of fun."

Akeno?! Stop making things worse! Wait, no. You were the one that started this!

A terrifying expression crossed Rias' face.

"Oh really," she said menacingly as she stood up with her bangs shadowing her face. "I thought I told you to keep your hands off of Saya, Akeno."

Don't mind me. I'll just make my escape before I get caught up in the explosions that are about to happen.

"Saya! Over here!"

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Yumi waving for me to get in the storage shed. Leave it to her to get my back.

I quickly ducked into the open door before Yumi shut it behind me, dropping the surroundings into darkness.

"Man... Thanks for that, Yumi. I don't know what I would've done if that continued," I thanked the Knight.

She just smiled and shook her head. "You should know that I'd do anything for you, princess."

"Ahem. Are you two done?"

That voice... Xenovia is here too?

My eyes still hadn't quite adjusted to the darkness yet so I couldn't exactly make out any distinct figures just yet. From the sound of her voice, it seemed like she was behind me.

"Oh, yes, sorry about that. I'll let you make your request," Yumi answered.

A request for me? Is it training or something?

"Saya," Xenovia began. "Please, make children with me."

...

"Er... Come again? I don't think I heard that right."

There's no way she just said what I think she just said, right? I must've misheard her.

"Let's make children together."

She just...

What.

"Um... Xenovia, you do know that two girls can't exactly make kids, right?"

I could make out a slight nod through the darkness. "I do. However, I also heard that a magical drug was developed by the Devils that allows for two females to procreate."

That's the first time I've heard of anything like this. Then again, I guess that kind of makes sense with the way the population of pure-blooded Devils are.

Wait, no! That's not the problem here!

Grabbing Xenovia by the shoulders, I looked her dead in the eyes and said, "Taking care of children is a huge responsibility, you know. You can't just decide to do something like this half-heartedly."

"I am well aware of that. I am also prepared for the hardships that may lie ahead."

No, no, no, no, no. There are way more problems to this. For one, you're way too young to have children!

"How did this idea even get into your head?" I asked.

"I thought about it myself," she answered. "Due to my long service to the church I was left at a bit of a loss as to what to do when I became a Devil. When I asked Buchou, she told me I should live however I wish. When in training, I had discarded almost everything it meant to be woman. That is why now I wish to experience something only a woman can experience."

Ah... I see...

Not!

That's still a huge leap to take!

Without warning, Xenovia began removing her bikini.

"Yumi, have you prepared the drug?" she asked the blonde Knight.

"Of course, it's right here," Yumi answered while taking out a small vial.

"Wait, wait, wait! Can't we just stop and think about this for a second?! And Yumi, why are you encouraging her?!" I tried to protest.

Yumi just gave me that signature smile of hers in response while slowly approaching me with the vial in hand.

I tired backing away, but just ended up bumping into Xenovia who wrapped her arms around me to hold me in place.

Ugh, I can't break free!

Closer, and closer, Yumi inched forward before forcing my mouth open and pouring the mystery liquid into it.

This is... cranberry juice?

Seeing the look of confusion on my face, Yumi winked and patted me reassuringly on my shoulder.

Ah... How sneaky. I'm going to need to repay her for this later.

"Now, Saya, let us begin. I do not have any experience with this, so you will have to take the lead," Xenovia said as she lay down with me on top of her.

Behind me, I could hear the door to the storage room open and click shut. Looks like it's just us two in here now.

Alright. I think I have a plan now.

"Xenovia, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, you may embrace me however you wish."

Now that I have a good look of her body, she's really beautiful. Her body was fairly toned from all the training she did to wield Durandal, but at the same time she didn't lack any of the curves of a mature woman. It was like there was a perfect harmony between the hardness of her muscles and the softness of her flesh.

Wait, no! Self-control!

Alright. Here goes nothing.

"Xenovia... The truth is, I-"

Before I could finish the sentence, I felt a chill run down my back.

Oh gods.

It's her isn't it?

I hadn't realized that the door to the equipment storage room had opened and there was now a group of people standing behind me.

"What's wrong, Saya? Come, let us make children together."

Xenovia! Can't you see the others standing behind me?!

"Ara, ara. It seems like Saya is bit more of a wolf than we first thought."

"Mu... I-I know I can't compete with everyone with my body, but... but..."

"Saya... What is the meaning of this..?"

"Ahaha..." I chuckled nervously. "W-Well... You see..."

Great. How am I going to explain this?

Before I could react, I felt Koneko grab me and lift me over her shoulder.

"Stupid..."

The small Rook carried me all the way to the pool's edge before throwing me in. It took a moment for me to resurface, and when I did, I was promptly greeted by Rias who was surrounded by a dark aura.

"It seems some punishment is in order here. I'll need to teach you not to lay your hands on other girls besides me," she threatened as she began preparing a ball of her destruction magic.

"Wait, Rias! I can explain! It's not what you think!"

"Oh? I'm sure I heard Xenovia say "make" and "children" together in the same sentence with you."

"Er... That is..."

As I tried to think up an excuse, I saw the ball of dark energy in her hand grow even bigger.

"H-Hold on! The pool! You'll destroy the pool! N-Nooooooo!"

* * *

I breathed a heavy sigh as I gingerly rubbed my rear. Once again, Rias spanked me for what seemed like two hours. And as added punishment, I was forced to go out and get drinks for everybody.

Jeez. Who knew Xenovia could be so assertive. That's usually something you don't say without any warning.

As I made my way to the vending machine, I saw a girl with beautiful, long silver hair tied into a ponytail standing in front of it.

Is she a new exchange student? She looks like a foreigner and I've never seen her before.

"Um... Excuse me," I called out as I made my way up to her. "Do you need any help with that?"

The girl turned to me for a brief second before turning back to stare at the vending machine. Her eyes were sharp and cold, which accentuated the feel of a cool beauty she was giving off.

Okay... Guess she's not very sociable.

After a moment the girl pointed at one of the drinks, a red bean flavoured coffee, and asked, "Is this any good?"

"Huh? Um... I'm not sure... I've never had it before."

"Hm..."

The girl continued to stare at the drink.

Maybe I should do something.

Walking up to the machine, I put the change in and pushed the button for the coffee drink. The can fell down the chute with a clank, and I grabbed it before handing it to the girl.

"Here. You never know unless you try," I said with a friendly grin.

The girl looked down at the can in her hand before looking at me and smiled lightly. "So this is the kind of person the Welsh Dragon is."

"What? You-"

"We've met before in this very school. I don't blame you for not recognizing me, though. Can you guess who I am?"

All of a sudden, I felt a dangerous aura flare from the girl. This feeling is like...

"The Vanishing Dragon?"

"That's right," she nodded. "We meet again, Saya."

Why is Valerie here? No... She couldn't be aiming to start a fight, could she? If I face her as I am now... I'll probably get destroyed.

I clenched my hands into tight fists to stop them from shaking. There's no question about it. I don't stand a chance. It's like I'm a small ferret staring up into the jaws of a grizzly bear. I'm frozen in place. Whether if it was from fear, or from her mesmerizing looks, it didn't matter. What matters is that I can't move.

She stepped up to me and took my chin in her hands while wrapping her other arm around my waist, pulling me towards her.

"Well, well. From this close I can tell you're quite attractive. Perhaps I should take you as a trophy after my victory. I'm sure I can think up of many ways where we can have fun together."

A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes as she jumped backwards to avoid a pair of swords that stuck themselves into the ground where she was standing. All of a sudden, Yumi and Xenovia both appeared in front of me with their swords drawn.

"Saya, are you alright?" Yumi asked while constantly watching Valerie for any hint of movement.

"Yes. I'm fine," I answered, finally regaining control of my body.

"White Dragon Emperor, or rather, Empress. What are you doing here?" Xenovia directed the question at Valerie.

Ignoring the two, the Vanishing Dragon stared straight at me and asked, "Tell me, Saya. Where exactly do you think you stand in terms of strength in this world?"

How strong I am? That depends. With my most powerful weapons I could rank in the top ten, but if we're going by pure power and skill, I wouldn't even reach the hundreds.

"I'd say somewhere in the thousands," I answer.

Valerie smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking. Compared to the strongest existence, you are a mere speck of dirt."

Strongest... Could she be talking about "her"? The little girl that greeted me first when I arrived here? Or does he mean that monster?

No. That doesn't matter right now.

"Did you know, Saya? In the past, the people who interacted with the Welsh and Vanishing Dragons were struck with misfortune. I advise you to be careful," Valerie warned. "Now, I think that was a long enough break. I'll be going now."

The Vanishing Dragon turned around and began walking towards the school gates. She paused for a moment before turning around and holding out the can of coffee I got for her.

"Thank you for the drink!" she shouted before disappearing around the corner.

The heavy atmosphere had not left with her, and instead lingered around us. Did she really just come here to see what kind of a person I was? This whole time, I felt Ddraig burning inside me, getting ready to fight.

I need to get stronger, and fast.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D

 **Endurance:** D+

 **Agility:** B

 **Magic:** E+

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Nebula, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (C) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly ejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.


	15. Three Factions Conference 2

**AN:** Sorry for the delay every one, but I had some technical difficulties with my laptop. More specifically, a fried battery caused by a water spillage. So now I recovered my hard drive and all the data is fine. Again, sorry for the wait, and enjoy a nice, lighthearted chapter with the introduction of an adorable dhampire. Man this website should really fix its problem with its line breaks.

* * *

The day of the open house came without anything too earth-shattering happening.. The hallways were buzzing with activity as parents, siblings, and students from middle schools milled about chatting with each other. It's just as busy as before. Jeez. All this noise is getting to me.

Valerie's appearance the other day still stewed in my mind. So much in fact that I trained in secret for the whole night.

That's why I was currently doing my best not to fall asleep in English class while trying to mold PVC clay into something I like. Why? I have no idea. Behind me, I could hear my parents cheering Asia on. It warmed my heart seeing her get so much support, but at the same time. Really? You biological daughter is right here.

It's already been a ten minutes and I still have no idea what to do with this. Make something I like? In the first place, I have no experience doing anything like this. An idea...

I glanced around the room to see what everybody else was doing. Animals, mascots, food, idols, monsters, and whatever else. I'll think I'll just let my mind wander.

What I like... I think... Yeah. An old friend that was waiting for me to return "home" after my "mission".

There! Done.

Uh...

Yeah, I guess that's close enough.

I held in my hands a deformed figure of a small fairy.

Looks like art isn't really my strong point. Oh well, I wonder how Rias is doing right now. She looked like she was expecting the world was going to end this morning.

"Mm… Ah..!"

I let out a content sigh as I stretched my arms. Class had ended without much else happening, except for the miniature statue of me that Asia had created. She had ended up unconsciously molding a statue of my likeness, and completely naked at that. The teacher had regarded it as a priceless work of art on the level of the statue of David, while everyone else had started up bids to try to buy it. I… still don't know how to feel about that.

* * *

"Please, look over here!"

"So cute! Such a cute cosplayer!"

Hm? There was some sort of commotion going on ahead of me. Or rather, it looked like a photo shoot of sorts.

Wait, is this even allowed? I'm pretty sure the open house isn't for something like this.

Oh well, might as well see what's going on.

I pushed my way through the crowd to the front to see a girl dressed in some sort of magical girl costume posing for the photography club members. Somehow, she kind of looked familiar… Have I seen her before? No… I'd definitely remember meeting someone that stands out so much.

As I was trying to figure out why she seemed so familiar, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't make such a ruckus in the hallways! You are disturbing the other students and attendees!"

A head of blonde that belonged to Saji moved through the crowd and appeared at the front while pushing away the swarm.

"That's enough! Disperse!"

Once the people saw the red armband that red "Student Council" they immediately began leaving.

"And you," Saji said as he turned towards the cosplaying girl. "Wearing something like that is just asking for attention. Please try to keep in mind the kind of place you are in."

"Eeehh? But this is my uniform!" The girl did a twirl and winked.

Uniform..? I'm not one to judge but… really?

"Saji! What's going on here?"

Looks like Kaichou's here now too.

"So-chan! There you are!" The magical girl shouted before proceeding to glomp Kaichou.

Hold on. Now that they're close together, they look kind of similar. Could they be related? A little sister, maybe?

Meanwhile, the two red-haired men behind Kaichou, big b – Sirzechs – and her father waved at the magical girl.

"It's good to see you, Serafall. I see you've been enjoying yourself," Sirzechs said with a smile.

Serafall... Serafall? Isn't that the name of the current Leviathan?

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Rias standing behind me.

"There you are, Saya. I went to your classroom to look for you but you weren't there. It looks like I didn't have to worry, though. I see you've met up with everyone already," she said before making her way up to the cosplayer. "

I do have to ask, but why magical girl? She could've gone for a witch theme, but I guess this is Japan. Magical girls are pretty popular here.

"Ah! Rias~! It's been so long since I last saw you. How are you?" The cheery Maou greeted Rias.

This certainly wasn't what I was expecting from a Maou. Then again, Sirzechs hasn't exactly matched my stereotype either. Maybe I should just resign myself from trying to figure out a person's personality before I meet them.

"Er, yes, it has, and I've been fine, thank you. I'm taking it that you're here for the visit?"

Looks like Rias has a bit of trouble dealing with Leviathan's energy.

"Yep, yep! Can you believe it? Sona didn't tell me about this at all! Why would my little sister be so mean to me?"

Eh? Little sister? For sure I thought she'd be the younger one. Ah… but Devils have magic that make them look younger, don't they?

"Ahahaha…" Rias laughed nervously at this.

I'm sure that if I were in Kaichou's position I would do the same. Those two are like polar opposites of each other.

"Oh!" Leviathan gasped in surprise as she saw me before she ran up to me and grabbed my hands. "You must be dragon girl I've heard so much about!"

Dragon girl..? Who in the world called me that?

"Y-Yes, that's right. My name is Saya. It's nice to meet you," I introduced myself to the Maou.

"Great! You're just as cute as Sirzy described you. It's nice to meet you, I am Serafall Leviathan, but please call me Levia-tan~!"

Oh boy. Even I'm starting to be overwhelmed by how energetic she is. And wait, did she just call Sirzechs Sirzy?

"Oh, and Uncle Gremory, too! Hi~."

"Indeed. It's good to see you too, Serafall. Although, I do have to admit, your outfit of choice this time is somewhat… strange."

"Eh? Don't you know? This is extremely popular in Japan, you know."

"Oh, is that so? You must forgive me for my ignorance."

Er… No. I wouldn't say it's that popular.

"Say… Rias, are all the Maous like this?" I asked as Levia-tan chattered on with the Gremory family.

"As much as I hate to admit it, yes. When they don't have to put up a front, they all have their own quirks," she answered with a sigh.

Well, it looks like Kaichou shares that sentiment. She looked like she was about to explode with embarrassment.

"Serafall, I would implore you to act more like a Maou when in public," Kaichou said, trying to maintain her composure. "And please do something about that outfit."

"Eeeehh? But So-tan~...! Don't you think I look totally adorable in this? With the power of love and magic I'll vanquish all those pesky Angels and Fallen Angels~!" The Maou announced while doing a twirl and a peace sign.

She's really into this whole magical girl thing isn't she? Well, as long as she's having fun, I guess.

"I… I can't deal with this anymore!"

Oh dear. I watched as Kaichou dashed off while clutching her head in her hands.

"W-Wait! So-taaaan! Don't leave me behiiiind!"

And there goes Levia-tan hot on Kaichou's tail.

It's nice to see that everyone's families are borderline normal.

"Well, Ria-tan, those two sure are lively," Sirzechs said with a chuckle.

"Pft..!"

Crap! I wasn't careful and almost laughed. Rias shot me a glare which I pretended not to see.

"Please, don't call me that, dear brother of mine," Rias replied sarcastically.

"Oh my, you weren't always this mean. I wonder what happened. You were always so cute following me around saying "Big bro! Big bro!"

"B-Big brother! Don't tell everyone that!" My master protested.

"Now, now, Rias. Let your brother have his fun."

"Father! Don't encourage him!"

As the Gremory family continued their banter, the rest of the ORC arrived.

"Fufu. Buchou looks like she's having fun," Akeno commented.

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's good to see that these families are so easy going."

And so, the day carried on with this sort of carefree atmosphere.

* * *

"Hey, Saya. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

After school had ended, the Gremory family decided to come visit our house to watch all the commemorative videos they took. Not being able to take the embarrassment of her brother anymore, Rias had ended up running away. So here we are, in my room, with her lying on my bed and me sitting against the side.

"Sure, shoot."

Instead of saying anything, Rias seemed to go quiet so I craned my neck up to look at her. She was hugging one of my pillows close to my body, and her face seemed to still be red.

"Do you… What do you think… of marriage?"

"Eh?"

Um… this was a bit sudden.

"Ah… Ahahaha!" After seeing my reaction, Rias must've gotten the wrong idea and thus began laughing nervously. "Wh-what am I saying? Sorry if that sounded weir-"

"I… wouldn't mind if it was you…"

To be honest, I never actually had a wedding before. All my relationships were either too short, too nomadic, or it was against the law.

"Eh?"

This time it was her turn to be surprised. Standing up, I climbed up onto my bed and placed myself over Rias.

"You know how I feel about you, don't you? So… I wouldn't mind…"

"Saya…"

"Rias…"

For the first time in a while, the two of us were alone together, and I could feel my desire to hold her, to feel her, well up inside of me. If it wasn't for the fact that both our families were downstairs, I probably would've lost control.

Leaning down, I planted a quick kiss on her lips and whispered in her ear. "I love you."

I could feel my face burning up. Whether if it was from how bold I was being, or from my desire, I didn't know. In fact, it didn't matter. All I wanted right now was to enjoy this sweet moment.

"Saya, I… I… I can't take it anymore!"

"W-wah!"

Before I could react, Rias had reversed our positions and now had me pinned under her.

"Saya, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can hold back any longer."

What? No, she couldn't mean…

"W-W-Wait! We can't! The others are downstairs!"

"Its fine, we can just be quick."

When I opened my mouth to speak, she took the chance to force hers upon mine. I felt her tongue invade my mouth and seemed to frantically intertwine with mine. All her pent up desire, I could feel from her movements. The way she held my hands while rubbing her body against mine. The way her tongue danced and played. Both of us were beginning to run out of air, but the desperation seemed to fuel Rias on until finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and had to break away.

We were left panting after the kiss as a trail of saliva trailed between our mouths as if it was a symbol of our desires to stay connected.

"Ahem."

Ah, that…

"G-Grayfia?! B-Big brother too?!" Rias half-screamed, half-yelled as she saw the couple standing by the open doorway with a cutely pouting Asia beside them. Ah… I'm going to need to make it up to her later.

And whoops. I guess I forgot to close that.

"Oh… My little Ria-tan is growing up so fast. To think you'd already be doing this and that. Your brother is proud," Sirzechs said while wiping fake tears from his eyes before shooting me a wink and a thumbs up.

Unconciously, I replied to it with one of my own to which Rias shot a glare at me for.

"A-Anyways," my Master said awkwardly as she coughed into her hand and climbed off of me. "Is there something you two needed."

Well, I have to commend her for trying to act professional.

"Ah, that's right. I have something I need to discuss about with you. It's about your other Bishop," Sirzechs answered, suddenly serious.

The mysterious second Bishop I've been wanting to meet? I heard that the second Bishop is a guy, but that's really about it. I wonder what kind of person he is.

* * *

My questions were answered soon enough as the next day after class, all of has had gathered outside the sealed room in the old school building.

Apparently, this mystery Bishop had an incredibly dangerous ability that Rias couldn't control when she first got him so he had to be sealed away to prevent a disaster from happening. This is a Bishop we're talking about so something OP like Heracles would be out of the question. Although, having a near invincible tank that hits like 9.0 magnitude earthquake with nine lives would be a huge asset to our team. What I'm imaging right now though is some old, withered wizard with a long white beard that can create black holes or something.

As Rias worked to undo the magical seals on the door, she explained the situation to us. "Although he can leave the room at night when his powers aren't as high, he refuses to do so and just stays shut in there no matter what I do. Hopefully, we can get him to leave after the seal is undone."

"Wow… Kind of sounds like this guy is a shut-in."

Rias sighed. "Yes… That's exactly it."

"However, you mustn't forget that he also earns the most from contracts out of all of us," Akeno added.

Wait, seriously? How is that possible?

As if reading my mind Akeno began explaining. "He takes contracts through his computer and also completes them through it. Because he's connected to the entire world at all times, he can take on the most contracts compared to all of us."

Ah… I see. Hm, maybe I should do that. It'd certainly be a lot easier than dealing with the weirdoes I get contracted with.

"The seals are gone. Let's head in," Rias announced as she grabbed the handled and opened the door.

"Noooooooooo!"

I flinched as a high-pitched scream came from inside the dark room. When I looked at Rias and Akeno, it seemed like they weren't even fazed. I guess this is normal, then.

Sighing, Rias stepped into the room with Akeno and me following close behind her.

Um… Did I hear right when I heard everyone say that this Bishop is a guy? Everything in this room seems to indicate it belongs to a girl. Adorable stuffed animals lay everywhere and the many decorations were all flowery. At least, that's what I can make out in the dim lighting. None of the lights were on and the curtains were drawn shut so no sunlight filtered in.

"Come on," Akeno coaxed softly. "The seal is gone so you can come out now. You don't have to stay in here any longer."

"No, no, no, no, no! I don't want to go outside! I like it in here where I'm isolated!"

Oh jeez. This is a serious case we have here. And that voice doesn't seem to belong to an ancient man. Instead it seems like it belongs to a grade schooler.

Finally, my curiosity got the better of me and I peeked past Rias and Akeno to see what this mysterious Bishop actually looks like.

What I saw blew all my expectations out the window.

There was a cute blonde girl with red eyes sitting on the floor shaking like a leaf.

"C-cute…"

Crap! I instantly covered my mouth with my hand as I let that slip out. Rias shot me a death glare that I tried to ignore by walking around her and up to the quivering girl(?) who seemed to shrink away from me.

"Hey, don't worry, I won't hurt you. My name is Saya, what's yours?" I said gently with a smile while holding out my hand.

The girl(?) seemed to hesitate for a second before gingerly outstretching her(?) hand to take mine. "U-Um… I-I'm Gasper. Gasper Vladi. A-Are you a new m-member?"

That's a bit of a strange name. So far, I've seen nothing that can indicate that this person is dangerous. Could it be a Sacred Gear, then? Something like, when she feels threatened a natural disaster occurs?

"That's right," I nodded and pointed back behind me. "Those two are new as well. The blonde girl is Asia, and the tall one is Xenovia."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Alright, how about you come outside with us. It'll be fun!" I suggested cheerfully.

"N-Nooo! I-I like it in here! I don't want to go outside!"

Jeez. How should I deal with this? This is worse than I thought it'd be.

"Come on, don't be like that. Let's go!"

Just as I began pulling him up from the ground, I felt the world around me freeze. This is… Awakening? No. It's different. It's more like… Time itself has stopped. Is this the girl's(?) Sacred Gear? All around me, the others had stopped moving entirely and were frozen in position. An all too familiar sight for me.

"Wh-Wha-? How..?"

I looked down at the Gasper who looked extremely confused as to why I wasn't effected by whatever her(?) ability is.

"Sorry, but even I don't know for sure."

"Um… C-Could you please let go of me?"

"Nope."

"E-Eh?!"

"Until you promise me that you'll come with us and not lock yourself in your room, I won't let go of you. I'll stay by your side for the rest of my life if I have to."

"Eh? Eeeh? Eeeeeehhhh?! T-t-to say something like when we j-j-just met is… is..!"

"Ah, by the way, Gasper. Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Eh? U-Um… I'm a boy… I-I just dress like this because I think it's cute…"

By the gods! How can a guy be so adorable looking?! The female uniform totally suits him!

"Well, I think you look adorable in it. It really suits you," I complimented genuinely.

"O-Oh… Uh… Thank you…"

Looks like Gasper's not really used to getting praise especially considering how isolated he's been for who knows how long. Well, I'm not going to let him shut himself away from the world. There's tons of interesting out there that you can't experience from behind a computer screen.

That's right. I'll keep by his side and support him until he gains the confidence to stand proudly out there on his own.

But first, how exactly do we get time back up and running?

* * *

"So let me get this straight. Gasper can't quite control his Sacred Gear, Forbidden Balor View, so he had to be sealed away to prevent time stopping every two seconds," I summarize after Rias' explanation.

So it actually is a time stop Sacred Gear. I guess it runs hand in hand with my original latent ability to seemingly stop time. Except, mine runs on the concept of speeding up the functions of my body and brain to a point where everything around me stops from my point of view.

"That's right," she nodded, pleased with my quick understanding. "Though that isn't the main problem. The main problem lies in the fact that Gasper's power is on a constant rise. Eventually, he should be able to attain Balance Breaker without so much as lifting a finger."

Talk about an easy way to power. Except, without being able to control such a powerful weapon would probably cause a lot of unwanted damage.

"Then the reason why he was let out is probably because you have to underlings who have their Balance Breakers."

"Also correct. Since Yumi attained her full Balance Breaker, and you attained a partial one, they deemed that I was powerful enough to properly control Gasper's power now."

That's a lot of power put in such a small body. Not only is he a half-vampire, he's from a special clan of them that can be out in the sun, has amazing magical capabilities, and a game-breaking Sacred Gear.

The only problem now is his crippling fear of socialization.

Even now, he's hiding under cardboard box.

I mean. Really?

Who are you? Solid Snake?

"Hey, Gasper. Why don't you come out of there? It's only us in the room after all," I said gently while tapping the top of the box.

"Noooo! Nonononono! I don't want to come out! The box is fine with me!"

Oh boy. This is going to be a challenge.

"Come on, Gasper. Please?"

"No! I hate it! I hate going outside! I hate the sun! I hate it all!"

Rias sighed and stood from her seat.

"Saya, Asia, Koneko, and Xenovia, I'm leaving Gasper to you four. Akeno and I have to head to the conference room and it seems that my brother wants to see Yumi in regards to her Balance Breaker," she announced. "Until then, can I trust you to try to change his mind?"

"Don't worry, we'll manage."

"Yeah. You can count on us."

"Right."

"We'll think of something."

Smiling in relief, Rias and Akeno left the room with Yumi following behind them.

That just left the five of us in the club room.

"Saya, I think I may have an idea in training Gasper," Xenovia said after a moment of silence.

"Well, any idea is welcome at this point. What is it?"

"I believe a hands-on approach that involves a life-threatening situation will bring his assertive side out."

Um… What.

"Not only that, but I've always wanted to fight against a vampire ever since I first read about them."

Er… No, hold on.

"So with that said, you can leave this predicament to me. I'll be sure to make him more into a man."

As soon as she finished her spiel, she began towing Gasper away inside his cardboard box. Oh dear. This isn't going to end well, is it?

And… just as I predicted, things aren't going well.

Currently, Asia and I sat to the side as Xenovia and Koneko were chasing Gasper around the empty field. Xenovia swinging Durandal, and Koneko holding a clove of garlic.

Yep.

"Waaaaah!" Gasper screamed. "Stoooop! I don't want to die! I don't want to eat garlic!"

"Come on, come on, come on! The key to a healthy mind is a healthy body! Keep dodging my attacks for the next hour!"

"Gaspy. Garlic is good for you."

Maybe I should stop this. I really don't think this is going to help Gasper overcome his fears. In fact, I think it's only going to scar him even more.

Ah… But his distressed expression is adorable too.

Just as I was about to go help the poor vampire, a familiar face showed up.

"Yo, Shishou! Looks like you guys are having fun here."

I turned to the direction of Saji's voice and shook my head. "Does it really look that way to you?"

"Well, kitty and the former exorcist look like they're enjoying, the blonde cutie on the other hand looks scared half to death. By the way, is that the sealed Bishop?"

Hm… Saji doesn't know Gasper's a guy. Maybe I can have a bit of fun with this. For some reason, I just feel like tormenting the two of them. It'll definitely make for some good entertainment.

"That's right," I nodded before turning to the group of three running around the field. "Hey, you two, stop bullying Gasper! And Gasper, could you come over here, please?"

Reluctantly, the two lowered their weapons as Gasper came running over to me with teary eyes.

"Waaaah! I was so scared! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" He sobbed as he jumped into my arms and buried his face in my chest.

He's been more susceptible to my requests than any of the others probably because of the time we spent talking in his FBV.

"There, there, it's alright. Big sis is here for you…" I cooed as I gently stroke his head.

Turning my head to the side, I stuck out my tongue at Saji who was looking at me with envy.

"Now, Gasper, why don't you introduce yourself to this boy here? Can you do it for me?"

The crossdressing boy glanced up fearfully at Saji before nodding hesitantly.

Standing up, I circled around Gasper and placed my hands on his shoulders.

"Go on," I urged.

"U-Um… M-M-M-My name is Gasper and… I'm a first year… I-It's nice to m-meet you…" Gasper stuttered.

It's not quite up to proper standards, but it's a start.

I can see Saji get immediately lovestruck at Gasper's introduction.

"Ah, yeah! Nice to meet you. I'm Saji, a second year and the student council's secretary."

This'll teach you not to take appearances too seriously.

"Oh, by the way, Saji," I said while slowly moving my hands down Gasper's body. "This "girl" here is actually… a boy!"

As I said those last two words, I pinched the hem of Gasper's skirt and pulled up, exposing his surprisingly frilly panties. Of course, the panties didn't matter, but it was the bulge that mattered.

It took a second for the action to register to everyone in the field.

"KYAAAAAA! Noooooooo!" Gasper immediately screamed and ran away into a nearby bush.

Meanwhile, Saji looked like the world had just about ended and collapsed to his knees while repeatedly muttering something.

"Hahaha! Nice going there, Saya. I didn't think you had it in you."

Now that's a voice I hadn't heard in a while.

"Hey, old man. It's good to see you again," I turned around and greeted the Fallen Angel dressed in traditional Japanese garb.

"My, I may be old, but I don't look that old. What about you? Aren't you a complete anomaly, you old woman?"

"That's just playing dirty, Azazel. Reincarnations reset my age you know?"

It's kind of scary that I can just have this sort of casual conversation with the governor of the Fallen Angels like this now. At first, I had kept my guard up, but after spending so much time together I managed to learn that he's nothing like Kokabiel. He's perfectly content with the peace and enjoys lazing around.

"A-Azazel?!"

Of course, everyone else didn't have the same experiences as me so they immediately got ready to fight. Even Saji who looked inconsolable before had summoned his Sacred Gear and was looking nervously at Azazel.

"Woah now, hold on. I'm not here to fight, you know. Besides, do you really think you stand a chance against me if you couldn't even win against Kokabiel?" Azazel pointed out as he raised his hands in the air in a mock surrender.

I nodded and motioned for everyone to relax. "That's right. We won't have to worry about him attacking us. He's not that kind of person."

One by one, albeit hesitantly, everyone lowered their weapons.

"That's better. I just came here because I was interested in some of the Sacred Gears around here," the Fallen Angel said before turning to the bushes where Gasper was hiding in. "Especially yours, vampire boy."

"Eek!"

"Forbidden Balor View, as it stands now, you can't control it, but with help of Absorption Line, and some of the Welsh Dragon's blood, it should make controlling it a bit easier."

"Wait, me?" Saji asked while pointing at himself.

"That's right. Your Sacred Gear is a product of the Prison Dragon, Vitra, one of the five legendary dragon kings. It has the power to absorb power from anything and feed it to whatever the line is attached to."

"I can… I can do that?"

Saji looked shocked at the small piece of armor on his wrist.

"Anyways, I've done what I came here to do," Azazel said suddenly. "I better get going before Valerie scolds me again."

With that said, the governor left just as quickly as he arrived.

"So… I can suck out power from other people's Sacred Gears and give it to someone else?" Saji mumbled as he stared at the gauntlet.

"Say, do you mind helping us out with Gasper's training? Your power could come in handy," I asked as Xenovia and Koneko dragged an unwilling Gasper out of his hiding place.

Saji nodded. "Alright, Shishou! You can count on me!"

And so, our Gasper training regiment began. With Saji's help controlling Gasper's strength, he managed to use FBV on a much smaller scale. Before, whenever it would activate, all of us in the field would be encapsulated and frozen completely except for me. Now though, the one's standing off to the side when it activates only experience a slight slowdown if Gasper focuses his gaze on a specific object.

There were multiple cases where Gasper would accidentally activate it unconsciously and cause somebody to freeze in which he then ran away apologizing.

Just as we decided to take a break from the training, Rias showed up with a basket of sandwiches and a bag of drinks.

"Hey, everyone. I brought some snacks and refreshments. How is the training going?"

"Thanks," I said while taking a sandwich and an oolong tea. "With Saji's help we've managed to reduce the strength of Gasper's Sacred Gear, but he still has a bit of trouble controlling it."

"I see." Smiling, Rias pat my head and praised, "Good work."

"Ehehe…"

As we all relaxed and took a break while enjoying our food, Saji suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Ah, crap! I totally forgot! Kaichou told me to take care of the flower beds! Sorry you guys, but I have to go!"

"Alright, thank you for helping us, Saji. Is it okay with you if we rely on you in the future, too?"

Saji's face went red at Rias' request. "O-Of course! I'll gladly lend a hand whenever I can!"

The boy dashed off towards the gardens half-panicking and half-happy.

"Well, Gasper, how about we continue your training now? I'll be joining in now, too," Rias said as she stood up and dusted off her skirt.

"R-Right!"

Although he looked exhausted, he responded affirmatively. Guess we've already made some progress.

* * *

"Uwaaaaaahhh!"

"Gasper, come out please. It's my fault for pushing you to go with Saya."

"Nooooooo! I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryyyyyy!"

Oh dear. To think that this would happen when he went on a contract with me. Rias had thought it would get him to open up a bit more, but his condition only got worse when he involuntarily stopped time a couple of times with our client.

Apparently, his fear of people stemmed from him getting bullied by others for being a half. It didn't help that he was also born with such a powerful Sacred Gear. As a result, both children and adults scorned him and treated him terribly.

His inability to properly control his Sacred Gear also added to that. He's always afraid that he'd stop someone he likes and then they'd hate him for it.

If that's the case, then it really seems like I'm the only one that can get rid of that fear.

"Rias, I think I can get him to come out," I said as I walked up to the door to Gasper's room.

"Saya? Alright. I'll leave him to you, then," she replied as she stepped back.

"Gasper? It's me, Saya."

"S-Saya? I-I'm sorry, because of me, you didn't get paid…"

Geeze, this kid. His trauma level is ridiculously high.

Taking a deep breath and bracing myself, I kicked open the door and stormed in.

"Eek!"

Almost immediately I felt the world around me stop, as Gasper scrambled backwards to get away from me.

"I'msorryI'msorry!"

The time stop grew stronger and stronger the closer I got to him and I can feel it taking a toll on my body. It was hard. Before, my body just reacted to the change on its own, but now I had to consciously regulate my systems or else risk something going wrong. It felt like I was moving through gelatin, but I kept powering through until I had backed Gasper to the wall where he was quivering uncontrollably like a mouse in front of a tiger.

"It's alright," I said gently as I took him into my arms. "It's alright. You don't have to be scared anymore."

"B-But… I'm useless… I-I can't even control my power. Because of it, everyone is scared of me… I don't want to stop people anymore! I hate it! I hate seeing the people I care about looking like that!"

"If that's the case, then you don't have to worry. You're power doesn't affect me, you see?"

"But everyone else will hate me!"

"No they won't. I know it. The others won't every hate you, no matter what. I promised Rias that I'd take care of you, and I promised to myself that I would be there for you no matter what happens. Even if you end up stopping the entire world, I'll still be there for you."

"S-Saya…"

By now, the FBV had deactivated and I saw Ris peeking in from the corner of my eye. I nodded to her to show that I had this taken care of.

The conference was starting soon so she had to head over.

She gave Gasper a worried look before relenting and closing door.

Gasper and I stood embraced like that for a while as he silently cried into my chest.

"Um… Th-thank you…" Gasper whispered when he calmed down.

"Don't mention it. I'll always be here for you if you ever need me."

In the moment of peace, something Azazel said came to mind. If Gasper could drink some of my blood, he would have an easier time controlling his power.

"Hey, Gasper, would you like some of my blood?"

"Eh? B-But… I don't like blood because it hurts whoever I drink it from… A-And I don't want to hurt you, Saya!"

Oh my, he's such a sweet kid! I wish I had gotten to know him earlier.

Gently stroking his head, I reassured him. "I'll be fine. I'm used to getting hurt all the time so a little blood won't matter. In fact, I'm sure it won't hurt at all with how kind you are."

"A-Ah… um… then… e-excuse me…"

What's with this atmosphere all of a sudden?

Gasper's face is red from his nervousness, and I'm getting red from having such an adorable person clinging to me. I can feel Gasper's hot breath tickling my neck, causing me to shiver involuntarily.

Man, this is certainly new. I've never had my blood sucked before and the anticipation is kind of making me giddy. I can feel my heart pounding like crazy.

"Ahem."

"Eek!"

The dhampir shrieked and fled into his cardboard box at the sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway.

"While I do appreciate that you managed to get Gasper to open up slightly, I'll get jealous from seeing you two so close like that," Yumi commented with an open smirk as she entered the room.

"Huh? Wait, no! It wasn't what it looked like!"

"Oh? That's what they all say," the Knight's eyes took on a dangerous glint as she stalked towards me. "If that's the case, maybe I should take you here and now."

Before I could react, Yumi had pinned me onto the ground where she gave me a playful wink while motioning slightly over to the cardboard box Gasper was hiding in.

What is she-?

Ah, wait, I see. I guess I'll have to play along, then.

"W-Wait, Yumi, we can't!"

"Hmmm? Why can't we?"

I've never realized just how pretty Yumi was before. She always dresses as a guy and keeps her hair short so she had that sort of pretty boy charm, but now that I see her up close, I can tell how beautiful she really is. If she had long, flowing hair she'd look just like a princess out of a fairy tale.

Wait, what am I thinking all of a sudden? Ah, this is bad, I can't think of anything to say.

As Yumi's face closed in on mine, I found myself wanting more and more for her to actually do something.

"St-stoooooop!"

Just before our lips touched, the world around me froze. I felt a pair of small hands grab me and pull me out from under Yumi.

Gasper, who had come out of his box, wrapped his arms protectively around me before time restarted. Since I was no longer under her, the Knight promptly fell flat on her face.

"Thanks for that, Gasper," I said as I pat his head. "That was brave of you."

"N-Not really… I just… Acted without thinking…"

"Haha, that just shows that you've grown already," Yumi said as she sat up, rubbing her nose.

"Eh?"

"It was a test," I answered after seeing Gasper's confused expression. "To see if you would "protect" me and you passed with flying colours."

"Eh? Eh?"

"Good job, Gasper. Not only did you activate your Sacred Gear by yourself, you also managed to control it properly while acting on your own to help the person you care about. If you keep going on like this, you'll be able to freely use your power with no problem," Yumi praised.

"Au… you two… Um… Thank you."

Hugging Gasper, I smiled and said, "Don't worry. What are friends for?"

* * *

The next day, I had been called to a certain place by Akeno who said she had something to discuss with me. Why we couldn't just do it at school slightly confused me. If it was something private, I'm sure she would've consulted with Rias first, or maybe she just feels that much closer to me now.

Ugh, why do so many Shinto shrines have such long flights of stairs?!

But to think Akeno would tell me to meet her at a shrine of all places. Ah, come to think of it. I sometimes saw her dressed in a shrine maiden outfit. Could this place be her home?

When I finally reached the top of the stairs, Akeno stepped out from under a gate and greeted me, "Welcome, Saya. I'm glad that you could come. Buchou will be here later, but we can get started first."

"Alright. That's fine, but what exactly are we doing?

"Ufufufu. You'll see soon enough."

As Akeno led me on the path, I decided to take the time to take in the sights. Everything was in amazing shape despite being visibly old. Seems like Akeno has been taking great care of the place.

Once we got to the main shrine, there was already person there waiting for us. They held a kind of immaculate beauty that didn't seem of this world. Except, that wasn't what threw me off. What really stood out was the glowing halo and radiant, golden wings.

This is…

"An Angel…" I breathed in awe.

This was way beyond my expectations. I knew Angels were supposed to be beautiful, but… This Angel is…

"You must be the Red Dragon Emperor, or should I say, Empress," the Angel said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you. I am Michael, current leader of the Angels."

Michael?! What in the world does such a powerful Angel want with me?!

"Let us go inside to talk, shall we?"

"R-Right," I said with a nod.

I was still a little thrown off at his announcement as we walked inside the main shrine. There was a suffocating feeling of holy energy emanating from inside.

When we reached the center chamber, the source of the aura became clear. There was a holy sword, but something about it felt even more dangerous. It was like… Just getting hit by the flat side of the blade could kill me.

"This is the holy sword that once belonged to Saint Georges," Michael said as he gestured to it.

"The Dragon Slayer Ascalon?!"

That explains the feeling I'm getting from it.

 **[That's right, partner. I expected nothing less from you.]**

" _Well, to be honest, I expected Ascalon to be a huge sword that weighs about a ton."_

 **[Partner…]** Ddraig sighed. **[Don't let video games influence your view on the real world…]**

"That's right. It seems you know quite a bit," Michael said, bringing me out of my head. "I'd like to give this to you."

A dragon using a sword that kills other dragons? That sounds nice. It's not like I haven't been using holy weapons already.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I mean, isn't this an important artifact for the Church?"

"Indeed, it is. That is why I have decided to present it as a gift to you."

"I see. It's a political move. I'm guessing you've also prepared gifts for the Fallen Angels."

"Yes. I'm glad you understand."

Looks like I'm going to have another amazing weapon added to my arsenal. Walking up to the sword, I reached out to touch it.

"Ah, please, wait a moment," Michael called out as he walked up next to me. "I was thinking if it was possible for you to assimilate the sword into your Sacred Gear."

"Assimilate it? You mean, as in absorbing it?"

"That's right. It would be easier for you to access, and there would be less risk of it falling into an enemy's hands."

 **[We can do it, partner. It should be possible. Just leave most of it to me.]**

" _Alright, I'll trust you on this."_

I nodded and gripped the handle of the sword. "I'll give it a shot."

Summoning the Boosted Gear, I felt a surge of power flow through me. Suddenly, the holy aura of the sword began washing over the red gauntlet and getting absorbed into the jewel. And then, in a bright flash, the sword disappeared and instead the blade was sticking out of the boosted gear.

I marveled the blade and flexed my arm before giving it a few test swings. Interesting. I've never had an armblade like this before. Not to mention my hand is still free to grip things which means I could hold another weapon like a gun.

"Amazing… Such a seamless integration," Michael marveled as he studied the combination. After saying that, he stepped back and bowed slightly. "My apologies, but I must be going to the conference now. Hopefully, we can speak more after it is over."

With that, the Angel disappeared in a flash of golden light, leaving me and Akeno behind in the shrine.

Hm… I don't think I can get used to traditional hand brewed Japanese tea. It's a bit too bitter for my tastes. But of course, I didn't want to be rude to Akeno so I took my time to enjoy it. After all, it's something she made.

I wonder… Should I ask her about it? If what Kokabiel said was true, then I'm guessing Akeno's father is going to be at the conference as well. It didn't seem like she was on good terms with him, though.

Well, whatever. Might as well. I could get to know her better this way.

"Akeno. Your father is Baraqiel, right? One of the leaders of the Fallen Angels," I asked as I put the tea cup down.

Her body visibly tensed up when I asked my question, and her grip on her cup tightened slightly. It's worse than I thought. She hates the guys' guts.

"Yes," she answered. "I was born between a Fallen Angel and a human."

That's an interesting bloodline.

"I see."

I didn't want to say anything else for fear of stepping on an especially volatile landmine. I'll take this one step at a time. And besides, I won't know for sure what her reason for hating her father so much is before meeting him.

"You must dislike me now after hearing that," Akeno muttered all of a sudden. "After all, both you and Asia were killed by Fallen Angels. Not only that, but they also plotted to destroy this city and kill everyone in it."

Everyone has their own skeleton in their closet. Seems like Akeno's no exception.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't detest them completely."

When I said that, Akeno's expression visibly dropped.

"However," I continued as I stood up from my seat and walked around the table to Akeno before wrapping my arms around her. "I'd also be lying if I said you weren't precious to me."

"Saya..!"

"You are Akeno, Queen of Rias Gremory, second-in-command of the Occult Research Club, but most importantly, a precious friend. That's who I see you as."

She must've secretly held this feeling inside of her this whole time. She was afraid of being rejected because of her lineage.

"Saying those honeyed words… There's no way I can hold back now…"

Ah, maybe I should've gone a bit easier on the comforting.

"Oof!"

I was immediately pinned onto the ground after she said that and began rubbing her body against mine

"W-Wait, Akeno! Don't you think this is a bit rushed?!"

"I can't help it, Saya. I've always been infatuated with how cute you are, and now after what you just said. I feel like I've fallen for you even harder."

"Ah, h-hey!" I protested as I felt Akeno gently bite down on my exposed shoulder and suck.

When she pulled away, there was a visible red mark there accented by teeth marks.

"Ufufufu. It feels like I've done something forbidden by marking you."

"Ahaha…" I chuckled nervously. "Well at least you did it somewhere the uniform covers or else Rias might find out…"

"What exactly will I find out..?"

Oh dear. Oh man. That's not good.

Without warning, I felt a pull on my collar and I was promptly pulled out from under Akeno to see a smiling Rias.

"Well, Saya? Care to answer me?" She asked sweetly.

"Er… Skinship..?"

Why did I have to say that? Why did I have to say that?! I could've said anything else!

"Do you have the sword?"

I nodded vigorously.

"Then we're going, come on!"

You say come on, but you're the one dragging me! I shot Akeno a quick apologetic look right before I rounded the corner. Jeez. Why do I always get into situations like this?

"Saya, one hundred spankings as punishment when we get home."

Ah… I'm totally whipped, aren't I?

* * *

 **Omake: Doki Doki Date With Buchou?!**

I glanced at my watch as I was sprinting to the arranged meeting to place to see that I was horribly late.

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! Rias is going to kill me!

Ah, she's already there waiting for me.

"H-Heeeey!" I called out while waving to her. "Sorry I'm late!"

Turning to me, I could see she was not happy.

"You're nearly half an hour late. What held you up?"

Ah… I can't tell her that I had to take like, seven detours to lose everyone that was following me.

"Er… Never mind that! Come on, let's go!"

Taking Rias' hand, I began dragging her off and away for our first ever date together.

Come to think of it, what does she even like anyways? I mean… We've never actually took the time to discuss our interests with each other.

I guess first things first is to get some food.

"Hey, Rias, how about we head for that family restaurant over there?" I asked pointing to the destination.

Ah… A day with just Rias and me. I'll be sure to enjoy this as much as I can!

Is what I wanted but… it's a bit hard to enjoy things when I have a whole troupe of friends staring at me from the corner.

Well, at least Rias seems to be enjoying herself with her meal as evidenced by a grain of rice stuck to her cheek.

I giggled as she continued to eat happily seemingly oblivious to the piece of food.

"Hm? What is it, Saya?" Rias asked as she paused for a moment.

"Silly. You have something on your cheek."

I reached over the table and plucked the rice off of her before sticking it into my mouth.

"Hauuauau!"

"Shhh! Asia, not so loud!"

Ahaha… I can still hear you guys, you know…

After a nice meal of omurice Rias and I headed back out with nowhere special in mind. That's right, just being by her side makes me happy.

"Um… Say, Rias… Do you mind if we hold hands?"

"Huh? Ah, sure. Of course we can."

"Eheh, thanks!"

I wrapped my arms around Rias' arm and clung tightly to her.

"Well, you seem to be in a good mood today."

"Of course, because I get to spend time with someone I love," I said with a grin.

"I wish you could be like this every day, then, but I guess I'll just have to settle for this one day."

"Hopefully we can have more moments like this in the future."

Over the course of the date, I had gradually begun forgetting about the parade of people following us. We went shopping for clothes and even lingerie in which we did our own little private fashion show. Unfortunately, we were kicked out of the store by the clerks when Rias got a little too heated and decided to drag me into one of the changing rooms.

After that, we headed to an arcade where I found out Rias is a huge fan of Japanese pop culture. A little bit too much, in fact. So much that we ended up buying a whole bunch of merchandise from some magical girl anime.

As the day was coming to an end with the sun just gently setting over the horizon, the two of us found ourselves at the park where the day my life changed.

"Aaaahh… That was fun," I said while stretching out my arms and running ahead to the fountain.

"I'm glad. This was my first date, so I wasn't sure if I was doing things right," Rias replied with a breath of relief.

"Well, it's been a while for me so I've been playing it by ear. Besides, dates shouldn't have to follow some strict schedule. Just being together with you is enough fun."

"Thank you, Saya," Rias said with a radiant smile. "It looks like I haven't lost to the others, yet."

"Hehe. What are you saying, Rias? You'll always be and always have been my number one."

"Oh?" Stepping up to me, she took hold of my chin and brought our faces close together. "Who's number two and three, then?"

I smirked and put a finger to her lips, "That's a secret, darling."

Twisting away, I walked ahead a few paces before turning around to face my Master, my lover, and said from the bottom of my heart, "Thank you, for everything, and I love you with all my being."

"Saya… I-?"

"Ah! A-Asia! Gasper! Wait! You can't!"

Eh?

"Sayaaaaa!"

"N-Nee-chaaaan!"

When I turned to see what the commotion was, I saw two blonde blurs barreling towards me.

"Saya, I can't take it anymore! I want to go on a date with you too!" Asia cried as she tackled me to the ground.

"M-Me too!" Gasper mimicked as he jumped on top of me as well.

"Wh-Wha-? H-Hey, you two! Th-That tickles! Stop that!"

Meanwhile, as I was being assaulted by the two, Yumi, Koneko, Akeno, and Xenovia all came out of their hiding place in a nearby bush and made their way to us.

"Sorry, Saya," Yumi apologized as she sheepishly scratched her head. "I tried to stop them but…"

"Ara… and it was just getting to the good part too," Akeno commented needlessly.

"I think its fine…" Koneko said with a slight blush.

"I see… To make babies, the proper steps should be taken first…" Xenovia muttered to herself.

"You guys are all…" Rias sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe how you ruined such a good moment. And you two, get off of Saya! She's mine for today!"

Jeez. We had such a good mood going, too. But, well, I guess this is okay. After all, there's not a single person here that I don't love. All of them are extremely precious to me.

"Hey, everyone," I called out as I picked myself up off the ground with Asia and Gasper clinging to me. "Why don't we all head over to my house for dinner?"

And just like that, the date I had with Rias had ended with all of us gathered together.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D

 **Endurance:** D+

 **Agility:** B

 **Magic:** E+

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Nebula, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B (C) - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly ejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.


	16. Three Factions Conference 3

**AN:** Yay! An update that's on time! Well, hopefully I can keep up the once a week schedule I have. Unfortunately, I've really gotten into Fire Emblem If so it might be hard for me to tear myself away from that game to write. As an extra note, I've decided to add honorifics and more Japanese terms since it's a bit hard to convey that aspect of Japanese culture in English. Anyways, enjoy the conclusion to this arc and as always, thank you for your support.

* * *

The big day of the conference has finally arrived. Hundreds of troops belonging to all three sides surrounded the school grounds, staring each other down and just waiting for something to happen. If even one punch is thrown in the conference room, this entire place will be obliterated.

"Sorry, Gasper, but you have to stay here," I apologized gently as I pat the boy's head. "Since you can't control your power too well it might cause problems at the meeting."

"O-Okay, I understand, Nee-chan," Gasper nodded.

I giggled and hugged him. "There's some snacks here if you get hungry, and if you get bored there's some manga and games here. There's also your box and the mask I gave you if you get nervous. Don't worry, as soon as it's finished, I'll come back here as soon as I can."

"Right, I-I'll do my best!"

Smiling, I stood up and joined the others that were waiting by the door.

"Alright Gasper, we're going now!"

"H-have a safe trip!"

When all of us were outside the club room, Akeno-senpai turned to me with a smile.

"Fufu, you've really begun doting on Gasper-kun haven't you?" She pointed out.

"Sh-Shut up, I can't help it," I replied with a huff. It's nice being relied on like this.

The rest of the trip to the meeting place was made in relative silence. I guess the scale of things is really putting pressure on them, especially Rias. She was incredibly tense and she was trying her best to look serious.

Knocking twice on the door before pushing it open, we walked into the conference room where all the leaders of the three factions had already gathered and were waiting for us.

Sirzechs-san, Levia-tan, Kaichou, and Grayfia-san were all on one side, but the maid was standing slightly to the side with a tea cart at the ready.

On the other side were Michael-sama and another Angel, a beautiful woman that had a motherly look to her. Seriously, are all Angels this ridiculously pretty?

Lastly, Azazel-san was sitting with Valerie-san standing by his side. The old man shot me a smile and a nod when he saw me, but nothing more. Guess even someone like him can read the atmosphere.

"Everyone, as you may already know, these people are my younger sister and her Peerage," Sirzechs-san introduced us. "They were the ones responsible for protecting this place until reinforcements arrived."

At this, Rias bows while maintaining her calm composure. Beside me, I can see Asia beginning to fidget. Maybe it would've been better to leave her with Gasper. It doesn't seem like she's going to be able to handle this.

"Yes, indeed. I would like to take this time to thank you and your friends for your bravery," Michael-sama praised.

"Ah, yeah, sorry about the trouble Kokabiel caused," Azazel-san added on to the end.

I take back what I said earlier. He doesn't know how to read the atmosphere at all.

After taking our seats next to Kaichou, Sirzechs-san spoke up. "I assume that everyone here is well aware of the biblical God's death?"

Everyone in the room nodded. I guess all the higher ups know about it, but Kaichou knows too? She must've been briefed by someone before the meeting.

"Alright, with that said, let us commence."

The conference began and discussions ran between the leaders. Ah man… Politics are incredibly boring, huh? I know this is necessary, but it's still a bit mind numbing. Halfway through, I found myself beginning to slip in and out of consciousness. Dammit, stay awake! I can't afford to fall asleep here!

Ah… no good. My eyes feel so heavy. Maybe I should just close them for a few seconds. Nobody will notice, right?

"Rias, could you give your report of the incident that occurred here with Kokabiel?"

Crap! I immediately snapped my eyes open and acted as if nothing was wrong as Rias stood up from beside me.

She began recounting the events of the Holy Sword Incident that lead to our encounter with Kokabiel. Underneath the desk, I could see her hand shaking, even though her upper body remained composed.

Of course she'd feel nervous.

I grabbed her hand and held it in mine while giving her a reassuring squeeze. I have to give it to her. She's a tough girl.

Once she finished her report and sat down, the attention focused to Azazel-san.

I smiled at Rias and squeezed her hand again which she returned with her own smile.

Azazel's report was… as expected.

His speech was informal and relaxed, but he at least managed to get the point across. Kokabiel acted of his own accord behind the backs of the other leaders and as a result, has been imprisoned in the Cocytus for an eternity. Serves him right.

"Now, Azazel, there is a question I would like to ask you," Sirzechs-san said.

"Shoot."

"What is goal for researching the Sacred Gears?"

Ah, there's the question.

"Yes. Ever since I've heard about your research, I've held some reservations about whether or not you would attack us," Michael-sama added.

"Ah, yeah, yeah. That's just a hobby of mine. I'm not interested in fighting at all," Azazel-san replied dismissively. "Seriously, do you guys trust me that little?"

"Yes."

"That is correct."

"Yup!"

The three other leaders all answered in unison.

"Ah, man, whatever," the old man grumbled as he scratched his head. "Let's just get to making peace."

That's right. What were the others talking about up until now? I had just assumed that they were trying to come to an agreement.

"Haha. Yes, I agree," Sirzechs-san said with a smile. "There is no point in us fighting anymore."

"Indeed," Michael-sama added. "With the two instigators, the original Maou and God, dead the war has no need to go on."

"Especially when our numbers are all so low. A full-blown war will destroy us all," Azazel-san agreed.

"It seems we've come to an agreement, then. Now, Welsh Dragon, you said you had something to discuss with me?" Michael-sama asked.

All of a sudden, all the attention turned to me.

He's planning to do this here and now?

Standing up, I cleared my throat and asked the question that had been on my mind.

"Michael-sama, am I right in saying that it was you that decided to exile Asia?"

The Angel looked sadly at the former nun that was sitting next to me who slightly shrunk in her seat.

"Yes," he answered "And I apologize to you for that-"

"No, there's no need to say sorry," I interrupted him much to the shock of the others in the room. "I understand what the alternative would have been."

"Alternative?"

"Death at the hands of your former comrades. A punishment given to those who stray from the path. The executioners job is not to hunt down the heretics, but to protect the faith of those around them from being shaken. Am I wrong, Michael-sama? When Asia was ordered to be executed, you stepped in and ordered for her exile."

The Angel was at a loss for words for a moment before quickly recovering and smiling. "You are quite observant. I wouldn't have expected you to know so much about us."

"It may come as a shock to everyone here, but I was once one of the Holy Church's strongest executioners in one of my previous lives. That is why I must say thank you for going out of your way to protect Asia like that."

"You are much too kind, Saya," Michael-sama said as he bowed his head.

Nodding, I glanced at Asia and Xenovia to urge them to speak their mind.

Asia stood up hesitantly and looked at the Archangel before beginning to speak. "Um… Even though I was sad and terrified when I was exiled, it was because of it that I was able to meet everyone here, so I don't regret it."

"That's right," Xenovia said as she stood up as well. "At first, I had believed that it was unfair, but after Saya had explained thoroughly the reason for our fate, it became painfully obvious. Heaven functions off the faith of us humans, and if you lose followers, you will get weaker."

"Thank you, you two," Michael-sama said with a sigh of relief. "I am happy that you two have such forgiving hearts. It truly makes me happy."

As the three of us sat down with that said, Azazel-san spoke up. "I'd also like to apologize for my former subordinate's behavior regarding to you and Asia. I understand they caused you two quite a bit of distress."

"Thank you for your concern, Azazel-san, but we've come to terms with it," I replied.

"That's nice to know. Anyways, Valerie, what do you think about all this?"

"As long as I can fight strong people, I'm fine with anything," she replied to Azazel-san's question.

"And Saya, how about you?"

"As long as my friends can be safe, I'm fine with anything," I said.

"Hahaha!" Azazel-san barked out a short laugh. "Then I guess we've all reached a consensus. Us three leaders agree on peace, and the two dragons have similar thoughts."

"Yes, it seems that way doesn't it?" Michael-sama said with a smile.

"To think our peace conference would end in just an hour. It certainly seems we should've done this a long time ago," Sirzechs-san added.

Just as everyone was about to get up, a familiar feeling rushed through my body.

This is…

Gasper?

When I glanced around I found that I wasn't the only one that was able to resist the time stop. All the representatives of the factions were moving freely, and a few of us from the ORC could move as well. Akeno-senpai, Asia, Koneko, and Kaichou were all frozen in place, though.

Almost immediately, the leaders all rushed to the windows.

"What's happening?" Rias asked as she looked around, slightly panicked. "Why would Gasper's power activate like this?"

It's an attack. An unknown enemy is attacking us.

Rushing to the windows to join the leaders I looked out to see countless black-robed figures floating in the air and flinging magical attacks at the building.

"Heh, magicians, huh?" Azazel-san chuckled dryly. "Judging from their power, I'd say they all range around a mid-class Devil."

That's quite a bit of firepower then, yet they're not doing any damage to the school building at all.

"I'm guessing we're stuck here then if they don't let up their attacks," I commented.

"That's right, but just because we're in here doesn't mean we're completely helpless," the Fallen Angel said as he waved his hand.

Outside, countless spears of light formed and rained down on the magicians, shredding the magicians into pieces like it was nothing.

I thought as much. These people aren't the leaders of their faction for nothing.

However, magic circles formed in the air where the magicians were and more of them poured out. So they want to overwhelm us with pure numbers? That's a poorly thought out plan. Also, I can't really believe that they would be willing to fight after seeing their friends get massacred. Maybe it's some kind of mind control technique.

Glancing to the side I could see Rias begin to lose her composure. She must be worried about Gasper. If his ability activated, that means the enemy got to him. Not only that, but that also means we might have a traitor here. An outsider wouldn't know where Gasper was being kept.

Except… to get to the old school building would mean we have to move outside where the enemy wants us.

I wonder if I can use that in this time stop. It's not as powerful as the one's before, but it's definitely on a larger scale.

"Hm? What are you thinking about, Welsh Dragon?" Azazel-san asked as he turned to me.

"Nothing much. Just thinking on how we get to the old school building from here."

"Good idea," Sirzechs-san said. "Getting Gasper-kun to safety should be our top priority right now."

"However, going outside will most likely be walking right into their trap," Michael-sama added.

"In that case, I have an idea," Rias suddenly interjected, her voice full of determination.

"Oh? Well let's hear it."

"I still have an unused Rook piece in the club room."

How is that supposed to-?

Ah, I see.

Castling, is it?

A technique in chess where the King and the Rook switch places. In this case, I guess it'd be a form of teleportation.

"So you plan to Castle," Sirzechs-san said. "However, it'd be too dangerous to go alone. Grayfia, is it possible to transport more people?"

"Yes," the gray-haired maid nodded. "If a simple ritual is performed we can move one more person."

"In that case, I'll go!" I volunteered. "I can't forgive these people for using Gasper like this."

"Hm… Alright, Grayfia, begin the preparations then."

As Grayfia-san began drawing some kind of magic circle, Azazel-san walked up to me.

"Ah, hold on, kid. I've got something to give you," he said as he tossed me a couple of bracelets.

"Huh? What are these?"

"They can control the power output of a Sacred Gear. Use one for the vampire and one for yourself."

"Myself? Why would-?"

Before I could ask my question, the old man interrupted me. "As you are now, you can't fully control your Balance Breaker, right? If you have the bracelet, it'll act as a conduit so you can use it properly without placing too much stress on your body."

I see…

"Alright," I nodded and put on one of the bracelets while I pocketed the other. "Thanks for the gift."

"Don't mention it. Besides, this'll give me a good chance to test out the invention properly."

This old man… So I'm just his guinea pig?

"Hahaha! Don't look at me like that, Saya. Besides, the stuff I make are all for self-defense so it should be fine."

"Oh? Self-defence? Looks like Michael and I aren't the only ones with trust issues," Sirzechs-san said as he inserted himself into the conversation.

"It's not against you two. It's a completely different faction."

"A different faction?" Michael-sama asked as he joined in as well.

"Yeah," Azazel-san nodded. "I haven't had the time to investigate much, but from the reports I received, they're a suspicious group called the Khaos Brigade that have been gathering powerful members from all three factions and neutral humans with powerful Sacred Gears."

Sounds dangerous.

"What is their goal?

"To cause chaos. They're terrorists."

So they're the ones behind the attack right now?

"Not only that," Azazel-san continued. "But they're leader is the Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis."

Wait, Ophis… Wasn't that the name of the girl that I saw..?

The instead the old man dropped that name, the other two suddenly grew worried. Guess she's not something to laugh at, huh? But the first impression I got of her wasn't exactly someone who would start a terrorist group. In fact, she seemed apathetic to everything.

"That's right, Ophis is our leader."

Who?!

I whipped around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice to see a strange magic circle forming on the floor. I've never seen that crest before.

"So, the one behind this attack is you…"

Does Sirzechs-san know this mysterious visitor?

"Quickly! Get Saya and Rias out of here!"

Huh? Wait, is this person really that dangerous?

At Sirzechs-san's order, Grayfia-san pushed Rias and I to the corner where there was a small magic circle.

It certainly does look small enough for only two people.

"Ojou-sama, Saya-sama, I wish you two the best of luck," the maid said before a light enveloped the both of us.

Those bastards are going to pay if they hurt even a single hair on Gasper's body!

When I opened my eyes, I found myself back in the club room standing in front of a group of magicians.

"B-Buchou! Nee-chan!" Gasper cried out.

He was tied to a chair with the mask I gave him covering his face.

"Gasper!" Rias breathed in relief. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Buchou… I'm sorry! It's all my fault! B-Because of me…"

"No! Don't say that, Gasper! None of this is your fault."

"That's right, Gasper! We won't allow you to suffer through this!"

"Buchou… Nee-chan… Ah!"

Bitch! I'll kill you!

One of the women in black struck Gasper and held a knife at his neck.

"That's far enough, Devil. Take one more step forward and the monster dies." The woman smirked confidently.

Shit. I stopped mid-step and lowered my arms.

"It's fine, Nee-chan. Don't worry about me! It's better if I just die," Gasper said while choking back sobs. "I-I just bring trouble wherever I go so-"

No. Don't say that.

"Idiot!" I shouted.

"E-Eh?"

"Stupid! Don't ever say you want to die!"

"B-But-!"

"No buts! I promised you I would take care of you and that's exactly what I'm going to do! Your precious to me, no, to all of us, so don't be afraid to give us trouble. We'll take everything you throw at us with a smile and come out on top!"

"That's right, Gasper. As your family, we could never abandon you."

"N-Nee-chan… Buchou…"

Looks like he's cheered up a bit, but…

The magician just scowls and presses the knife closer to his neck. "Shut up! How could you act so lovey-dovey with this monster? It would have been easier for you to just use his power as a tool instead of sealing him away."

No… suppress it. If I move, Gasper dies. I have to bear with it, no matter how painful it is.

"Hmph. Let's have some fun, shall we?"

With a signal from the leader, the other magicians began firing magic balls at Rias and me. When I tried to raise my arms to block it, the bitch pressed the dagger into Gasper's neck and drew blood.

Dammit! Without any defenses, a cluster of magic hit me in the chest full force and sent me flying back into the wall.

"Kah!"

Ugh… As long as they have Gasper, we can't do anything.

Meanwhile, Rias was faring a lot better than me. Her clothes were getting shredded off, but other than that, she remained fairly unhurt.

"Hahahaha! Look at this!" The magician cackled. "The little sister of the great Lucifer and her underlings are going to be killed like mongrels!"

Enough. I'm sick of this. There's still a way, but…

 **[No, partner. If you're going to do what I think you're going to do, then no. It's too risky.]**

" _It's the only way, Ddraig."_

 **[Tch… Just… Don't die. I'll try to hold off the Forbidden Balor View as much as I can.]**

" _I'm not planning to, and thanks."_

Standing up and shaking off the rubble from the wall I smashed into, I stared at the woman who had Gasper hostage.

"Awaken."

The barrage of magic attacks that were flying towards us gradually slowed down until they came to a complete stop.

Have to get to Gasper.

Running past the stationary projectiles, I reached Gasper's side, untied him, and picked him up along with the chair before gently placing him down behind one of the couches.

I released the breath I didn't realize I had been holding and along with it, time seemed to resume.

"Eh? N-Nee-chan? What just..?"

I smiled despite the sudden wave of exhaustion that hit me and pat Gasper's head. "It's similar to your ability."

Yeah, it was, but I never felt like this when I used it before. Sure, I felt tired, but this time I feel like I've been drained of all my energy. At this rate I don't think I'll be much help in this fight.

"Listen, Gasper," I said, trying to keep my voice quiet. My little disappearing act confused the magicians, but I don't know for how long. "I need you to drink my blood."

"E-Eh?! B-But…".

"Please, Gasper. I can barely move right now, and Rias needs your help."

The boy looked hesitant so I reached out and stroked his face.

"Don't worry," I said. "I believe in you. You can do it."

"Nee-chan… A-Alright! If you say so then I'll do it!"

Little by little, I can see Gasper getting more confidence. Seeing him determined like this makes me somewhat proud.

Once again, the two of us were embracing with Gasper's head nestled in the crook of my neck.

I flinched the moment I felt his fangs pierce my flesh and I could feel the blood rushing out of my body.

Ah… Somehow, this feels kind of good.

The flow stopped and Gasper pulled away. His appearance didn't change much, except his eyes held confidence and determination.

"Nee-chan. Thank you for supporting me. This time, I'll protect you," he announced before his body broke into collection of bats and flew at the magicians who were now engaged in a magic duel with Rias.

"Wh-What is this?!"

"It's that damn vampire!"

The magicians changed their target to the countless number of bats but were thrown off balance by ethereal hands that began grabbing at them from their shadows.

Amazing. Is this Gasper's real power?

"Saya, I see you had Gasper drink your blood," Rias said as she casually walked up beside me. Her clothes were in tatters, but she didn't look at all bothered by it.

"Ah, yeah. After that stunt I pulled I feel like throwing up," I replied while wiping away the trickle of blood that was left. "So this is how strong Gasper really is."

"Yes. Because of his traumatic past, he hid this power away."

The magicians didn't stand a chance. Every projectile they threw at him was stopped in mid-air and then subsequently absorbed by the bats.

"Damn! If that's how it'd going to be..!"

One of the magicians had the bright idea to turn towards Rias and me but was frozen in place before she could even get an attack in. Subsequently, all the other magicians began to freeze until all of them were stuck in place with looks of panic on their face.

Hah! Serves them right.

"Alright, Gasper, good work," Rias said with a proud smile as she moved to the disabled magicians while supporting me.

The bats all congregated back together and Gasper reappeared in all his glory.

"I-It was nothing, Buchou. Nee-chan was the one that helped me."

"I may have helped you, Gasper," I said as Rias sat me down on one of the couches. "But you fought the magicians yourself. We're both extremely proud of you."

"Ah… Th-thank you…" The boy mumbled shyly.

"Hey, Gasper, can you help me tie up these people?"

"R-Right away!"

The vampire rushed to Rias' side and began wrapping rope around them. Oh right, the bracelet.

"Hey, Gasper," I called, getting his attention before tossing the bracelet at him. "Put that on, it should regulate your Sacred Gear."

"Okay, thank you, Nee-chan."

Lounging back on the couch, I let myself relax a bit to regain my energy.

 **[Say, partner, something you said before has been bothering me.]**

" _Hm? What's up?"_

 **[Earlier, you mentioned meeting a little girl and a monster when you first got here. Is it them?]**

" _If by them you mean Ophis and the Great Red, I think so. I'm pretty sure the girl mentioned her name was Ophis and the dragon said he was called the Great Red."_

 **[Hm… I'm guessing Ophis changed his form, then.]**

" _Anyways, who are those two? I didn't really get the chance to ask."_

 **[Ophis is arguably the strongest existence in the world, even more powerful than God. And the Great Red is known as the Dragon of Dragons who's pretty much on par with Ophis.]**

" _So both of them are monsters."_

 **[Yeah, but how exactly did you meet them?]**

" _It was someplace in between the physical world and the Rift I travel through to move between worlds. I saw them arguing about something and decided to approach them."_

 **[Ah… I see. That place is called the Dimensional Gap. That gives me a pretty good idea of what the Rift is like, then.]**

Hm… That girl sure was cute, though. I'm pretty sure I'll get to meet her again, considering she's the leader of the new enemy we have to face.

As Rias and Gasper finished tying up the magicians, Rias summoned a magic circle under them that probably transported them to some jail in the Underworld.

"Alright, Saya, can you move on your own again?" Rias asked as she held out her hand to me.

"Yeah I think I'm fine now," I said, but still accepted her hand.

After being pulled up and steadied, we began making our way through the old school building in order to get back to the new one.

"Gasper, are you feeling okay? You don't have to push yourself if you're tired, you know," I said to the vampire.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine! But um… you shouldn't work yourself too hard either, Nee-chan."

"Saya…" Rias said while shooting me a glare. "I know I put Gasper under your care, but don't you think you two are getting a little too close?"

"Eeeh? I-I'm sorry, Buchou!"

Ah… No, it's not your fault Gasper. Come to think of it, I have been doting on him a little much, haven't I?

"It's alright, Gasper." I gently pat his head as I saw tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "You can act as spoiled as you want."

Crap. I did it again. I can feel Rias' harsh gaze drilling a hole through me.

Just as the three of us walked out the entrance something smashed into the ground in front of us, creating a huge screen of dust.

"Wh-What?!"

Inside the dust, a figure began getting up from the ground.

Wait, hold on. Isn't that..?

As the dust cleared, it revealed Azazel-san with wounds covering his entire body.

"Heh. So you're the traitor, Valerie," he chuckled dryly and said as my rival flew down towards us along with an unknown woman.

"That's right," she replied. "I was approached when I was transporting Kokabiel and decided it would be fun."

The other woman giggled into her hand. "How poetic. The great Azazel is going to be felled by one of his former comrades.

"Old man!" I shouted before running to his side with Rias and Gasper following close behind me.

"Oh, Saya, you're here. Looks like you got to see me in this sorry state."

Stupid old man, stop acting all tough.

"Valerie, is this the possessor of the Boosted Gear?" The woman asked.

"Yes, that's her."

"And? What are you planning to do?"

Valerie glanced down at me, as if gauging my ability, before shrugging dismissively. "I could fight her, but as she is now, she doesn't stand a chance."

It really hurts when you say it like that. I know I'm physically not able to match you, but physical strength isn't the only thing going for me. After all, I defied all odds and killed a god before.

"My dear, Saya, do not take it too hard," Valerie said while spreading her arms. Along with her Sacred Gear's wings, a set of Devil wings joined them. "I am Valerie Lucifer, a descendant from the previous Maou Lucifer. It is only natural that I am much more powerful than you, who was a human until recently."

Seriously? Talk about being born into power. Still, that speech didn't really make me feel any better. Just goes to show how hard I have to work in order to get to her level.

As Valerie-san was talking, the woman next to her began building up magical power.

"Hoh? That's why you seemed stronger than you should be," Azazel-san commented. "Ophis lent some of his power to you."

"Haha! That's right! With Ophis' infinite power, I can easily crush you foolish leaders!"

"Ah, man. I won't deny that I'm an idiot. I'm just a fanatic of Sacred Gears after all, but I wouldn't count on the other two being that way. In fact, no matter how much power you borrow, you'll never be able to match them."

Wow, he's actually saying something nice for a change.

The woman, however, didn't seem to take that too well. "Insolent..! Then I'll destroy you right now, and then destroy the other two!"

"Just try me," the old man said with a smirk as he took out a small dagger from inside his shirt. "You should know better. After all my years of researching Sacred Gears, it should at least occur to you that I might've ended up making a few of my own. Of course, they're nowhere near as powerful as the ones God made, but they're still pretty damn good."

"Impossible! You can't mean..?!"

"That's right, Balance Break!"

The dagger glowed and changed forms, snaking across Azazel-san's body and bathed him in the gold light. After a bright flash, the old man was completely covered in gold-plated armor that vaguely resembles the scale male that Valerie and I use.

"After studying the two Dragons here, I managed to create this, the Downfall Dragon Spear and its pseudo-Balance Breaker, Downfall Dragon Another Armor."

This is insane. He managed to create something at a level of our powers?

 **[No, not quite. It's powerful for sure, but it's a onetime use thing. After this, it'll most likely be destroyed.]**

But still, how did he manage to replicate our armor? He even has the aura of a Dragon surrounding him.

What Azazel-san said next answered my question. "By using and sealing the Gigantis Dragon Fafnir in the vessel, I managed to obtain this experimental form."

Ah, there's a name I hadn't heard in a while. That's one more Dragon I won't have to face in the future.

"Tch, dammit!" The woman clicked her tongue. "So what if you have a new toy? I have the power of the original Leviathan in my veins! You cannot defeat me!"

Wait, wait, what? So that means I can safely assume that her motivation is because she wants to be the Leviathan because of birthright? How dull.

"Come on," the old man said with a smirk while motioning with his fingers.

"Die!" The woman shrieked as she catapulted towards Azazel-san.

Almost instantly the Fallen Angel swung the spear in his hands and nearly split the woman in half.

"Not… yet..!"

While falling to the ground, the woman's arm changed into a collection of tendrils that stretched and wrapped around Azazel-san's arm. Subsequently strange runes began appearing on the woman's body.

"That's… a self-destruction pattern!" Rias yelled.

What? She's planning to blow herself up now to try to kill us?!

"Hahahaha! What will you do now, Azazel? If you kill me, you'll die too!"

Alright, this woman is officially insane.

"Gasper can you stop her?" I asked the vampire who nodded.

However, before he could activate his Sacred Gear, Valerie-san waved her hand and caused Gasper to cry out in pain while clutching at his eyes.

"Sorry, but that power of yours is bothersome so I'm going to seal it."

Crap. There goes that plan.

"Enough, Saya, Gasper, we need to get some distance or else we'll be caught up in the blast as well."

"Right." Nodding, I grabbed Gasper and followed Rias away from the immobilized Fallen Angel while keeping an eye on Valerie-san.

It doesn't seem like she's going to chase us.

Azazel-san isn't having much luck either. He had been trying to cut off the tendrils with his spear this whole time, but he hadn't made any progress at all. Is this really how he's going to die? No way. I can't just believe he'd give up like that. He may be a stupid old man, but he's not foolish.

"That won't break, Azazel. It's no use! Hahaha!"

After hearing this, the old man seemed to just give up and stare at the tentacle before raising his spear in the air and bringing it down.

He just…

That damned old man just cut off his own arm!

I mean, that does seem like the only way out of the situation…

To be completely honest I would've done the same thing.

When a wolf gets caught in a trap, it has to chew off its own leg to escape.

After being speared by one of Azazel-san's attacks, the lady exploded leaving no trace of anything behind.

The golden armor proceeded to vanish from the old man's body at which he clicked his tongue. "Damn. Looks like that's the limit of my invention right now."

Now we just need to deal with Valerie.

"Well, Valerie? What's your plan? Even if I only have one arm I can still match you," Azazel-san said as he prepared himself to fight.

"No, my interests don't lie with you, Azazel," the silver-haired girl replied. "Saya-chan, what do you think about facing me?"

So she wants to fight me.

"I don't have much confidence in my strength, but like hell am I going to turn down a challenge from you."

"Oh? Even though you were normal human, you wish to face me who was born from a Maou?"

She doesn't know yet. I'm guessing that old man hasn't let it slip. Good, I can use that to my advantage. So far, it seems like only the leaders of the factions and my friends know about my little secret.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, Val-chan."

 **[Welsh Dragon Over Booster!]**

Hm… A time limit of 30 minutes. I can work with that. Time to test out my new toy.

Shooting towards the flying girl who fully had fully donned her scale mail, I extended Ascalon from my gauntlet and swung at her.

 _ **[Be careful, Valerie. That sword seems to be a dragon slayer. It would be wise to not get hit by it.]**_

"Noted."

My rival flew backwards just out of reach from the tip of the blade before responding with a kick to my stomach that sent me tumbling away.

Dammit! That hurt a lot more than I thought it would.

 _ **[DIVIDE!]**_

Wh-What?! My strength..! She just drained me!

 **[BOOST!]**

Shit… So she's at plus one and I'm at zero. I have to end this as soon as I can or else she'll get too much power.

"What's wrong? Welsh Dragon? Is this the extent of my rival?"

"Heh. Fortunately for you, I have a lot more up my sleeve!"

Reaching to the side, I pulled the chain sword Nebula from my rift and charged again. Looks like the reveal of my other ability caught Valerie off guard as the sword stretched and twisted and wrapped itself around her.

One strike! I just need to hit her once with Ascalon.

"Interesting…"

What?

Before I could react, a collection of magic bullets formed around her back and smashed into me, blowing me away and tearing pieces of my armor off.

"Is that another Sacred Gear? No. That should not be possible. What kind of ability is that, I wonder," my rival muttered to herself as she shattered the magical sword into pieces.

Once again, magic bullets began flying at me, forcing me to dodge. I need to look for an opening.

Tch. No good. There's just too many of them to dodge and I'm taking too many hits. If this keeps up, I'll be worn down.

Now's a good time as any for me to test out my new move. I hope my magic training has paid off.

Alright, here goes nothing.

"Infinity Blade!"

All around me rifts opened up and began firing a seemingly endless stream of weapons out to intercept the bullets. They were all just regular weapons with no special properties to them so I didn't mind losing them.

With the makeshift shield active, I closed in on the flying girl. Whenever a shot would get past the rain of weapons, I would grab a sword from my Vault and throw it at the bullet. That didn't stop me from completely getting hit though. There were many attacks that managed to hit me and break pieces of my armor off.

Closer, closer! All a sudden, a cluster of magic bullets appeared in front of her, completely obscuring my view. Not good. It's already too late for me to turn away. I'll just have to plow straight through.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed forward while throwing a particularly large battleaxe into the bullets. There! There's a hole just small enough for me to squeeze through without getting too badly injured.

I boosted through the gap and slashed with Ascalon just as I felt the drain of keeping up my barrage assault me.

A look of surprise crossed Valerie-san's face as her armor split straight down through the middle with a large red gash underneath it.

"Wh-What-?"

Ah, no good. The cut was too shallow to disable her, and I'm left completely exhausted.

"Hahaha… You're just full of surprises, aren't you? I'm beginning to suspect you're more than you let on," Valerie-san grinned and complimented.

She's really battle hungry isn't she?

All of the gates had closed now and no more weapons were being flung out. I guess that's my limit.

As I was contemplating my next move, a glittering object stuck to Ascalon's blade caught my attention. Isn't that a fragment of one of the jewels that's on Valerie-san's armor?

Wait…

Ascalon… a fragment from Divine Dividing… Can I…?

 **[Partner, that's suicide. Especially in your current state.]**

" _Do I have any other choice, Ddraig? I've used up some important trumps already but my opponents still operating at max capacity. If I can assimilate her power, we can fight a bit more on equal ground."_

 **[That may be true but…]** The red dragon sighed. **[Alright, alright. Let's do it. I have faith that you're not the type to just die from something like this.]**

Right! Let's do this.

"Boosted Gear: Assimilation!"

As soon as the jewel absorbed into my hand, a sharp pain coursed throughout my entire body.

Wh-What is this?! It hurts..!

"Gg… Ak…"

Focus! Breath! I won't lose to something like this!

"You… Don't tell me you're absorbing my power?!"

Inside my head, I heard Ddraig roar in pain. Shit, don't worry, buddy. We'll get through this.

 **[Kahaha..! Partner, this amount is nothing to me! Let's get through this together and kick that girl's ass!]**

" _Haha! That's right. We're both stubborn blockheads after all. Anything less than a direct blow to our brain or our heart won't kill us!"_

The pain was already dying away, and the red gauntlet on the hand I absorbed the jewel into started turning white beginning with the finger tips.

 _ **[Impossible! Such a thing like that should be impossible!]**_

Even Albion seemed shocked.

This is it. The transformation seems to be over now with the white gauntlet stopping at my elbow.

"Alright, Vanishing Dragon. Now we can fight on equal ground!"

The shocked expression of Valerie-san's face turned into amusement as she stared down at me. "Amazing! This is so interesting! I never expected my rival to be such an interesting existence! Maybe now I'll get serious."

With that said, the girl flew high into the air.

 _ **[Half Dimension!]**_

A new technique? No, but… it just feels like my power got drained again.

 **[No, partner, take a look around you.]**

That's… Almost everything around us appeared to have shrunk. In fact, the most noticeable things were the trees that seemed to have been reduced to half their size.

"As you can see," Valerie-san said with a smirk. "I can also steal power from the surroundings."

That's… cheating! What the hell?!

Hold on, no. I can't let that discourage me.

"Heh, you think that'll scare me?"

"No, but, just to let you know, I can also halve your bust size. Although, I'm pretty sure half of zero is still zero."

What..?

 _ **[Valerie, what in the world are you saying?]**_

 **[Oh man… You really shouldn't have said that.]**

"I… I'm not completely flat you asshole!"

In a blind rage, I flew towards the still smirking girl.

Grr… Stop looking at me with those pitying eyes! Just because you're bigger than me doesn't mean you're better!

 **[DIVIDE!]**

As my rival caught my fist, I halved her strength. Hah! How's the feeling of having your own power used against you?

With my newfound strength, I kicked her in the stomach, breaking off more pieces of her armor before slashing her.

"Interesting, just from the mere mention of your cutting board seems to rile you up."

She did it again!

 _ **[Divide!]**_

 **[DIVIDE!]**

We continued to clash, every punch we threw at each other was divided, but I was still steadily gaining ground with my boosts.

Our armor was almost completely broken and our clothes were also torn to shreds from the constant barrage of blows.

Yes! At this rate, I can win!

I just need to get one solid touch in.

"Kh… Can it be? You're overpowering me?

That's right! More, more, faster, faster!

Squish.

Gotcha!

 **[DIVIDE!]**

"Hahaha! How does it feel to have a small chest?!"

 **[Partner… You just… I don't even…]**

That's right. I just halved her bust size and added it to my own.

 **[I swear. Have you gone insane?]**

"Hahaha... How interesting!"

Eh?

I was sent tumbling backwards by a kick to my stomach when I wasn't paying attention.

Really? She didn't take any damage from that?

 **[You're really surprised about that?]**

"Hahahaha!" Valerie-san laughed. "I love this! You're everything I've ever wanted for in a rival and more! Now, how about I show you something special?"

What? She still has more? We both took a lot of damage from the previous exchange, and she still wants to fight?

"I, who am about to awaken,"

A chant?

 _ **[Wait, Valerie. Using Juggernaut Drive would be-!]**_

Ignoring Albion's warning, she continued to chant. "Am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God."

 _ **[Stop this Valerie! Do not be so foolish!]**_

What is this? Is it really that serious of an attack?

 **[No. It's not an attack. It's like an enhanced form of our Balance Breaker, except… It comes with two very heavy prices.]**

Not good. More often than not, a move that sacrifices a lot often leads to a lot of damage. I have to stop her before she finishes.

As I closed in on her to disable her, a man wearing strange armor and carrying a pole flew in between us.

Really, another one?

"Yo, Val. I'm here to pick you up," the new appearance said cheerfully.

Stopping her chant, Valerie-san looked slightly annoyed at the man. "Bikou. Why are you here?"

"Oh come on, Val. Don't you remember your orders? If Cattleya failed her mission, you were supposed to return right away. We were all waiting for you so we could go take on those Nordic gods."

Seriously? The Khaos Brigade wants to kill gods, too?

"Very well," Valerie-san said with a sigh. "I'll retreat for now."

Well isn't that a relief? I can already feel my body straining to keep my Balance Breaker active. Looks like even with a portion of her power, I still can't match up to her.

"Hm? Oh, wow, so you're Val's rival," the new guy, Bikou, said as he turned to me. "Man, you've got a pretty nice bod."

What the-. Ah, that's right. My clothes are all ripped up.

"Right, thanks. Do you mind telling me who you are, though?"

Before the person could say anything, Azazel-san answered for him. "That's a descendant of Sun Wukong, and also the current Monkey King."

Hm… I see. So he's a monkey man with a giant stick that rides on a yellow cloud. He certainly doesn't seem to be that threatening, but then again, I'm not sure how strong the original was either.

"Except, I'm nothing like the first. Anyways, nice to finally meet you, girly."

With that said, Bikou planted his staff into the ground near him and Valerie-san and then began sinking into a hole that opened up.

"You've exceeded my expectations today, my dear rival," Valerie-san said as she continued to sink. "However, I'll grow stronger during our time apart so I hope you won't disappoint the next time we meet."

Those were the last words she said before disappearing into the ground. Just in time as well, since the remaining pieces of armor still on me disappeared.

"Hah, man. That was exhausting," I muttered before falling onto my back. I don't care about anything else. I just want to rest for now.

* * *

After a short break and a magical wardrobe change, the four of us returned to the area near the new school building where the battle seems to have finished as well. There were casualties on both sides, but there were by far the most corpses of magicians.

"Ah, it seems everyone is accounted for," Sirzechs-san said as he saw us approaching. "Thank goodness you're all safe. Except… Azazel, what in the world happened to your arm?"

Yeah, huh. We tried our best to fix it but all we could do was stop the bleeding and close the wound. In the end, the old man just threw the arm away and said he didn't need it anyway.

"Yeah, huh. I got careless and got caught by Cattleya's trap. Had to cut this off to escape."

"I see, Cattleya, huh? I have to apologize. As a fellow Devil, I have no excuse for-"

"Don't. Valerie was also partially responsible for all this."

"So she's betrayed you."

"Yep. To be honest, I should've seen this coming a long time ago. She's always been a battle maniac."

As the two leaders were talking, Michael-sama walked up and joined in. "The cleanup is almost finished now so I will be returning to Heaven. I have to discuss with the others about how to deal with the new threat of the Khaos Brigade."

"Alright, Michael," Sirzechs-san said with a nod. "I have to apologize. As the one who organized this meeting, I am ashamed for not preparing a suitable defense against attacks."

"There is no need. We have accomplished our goal here for today. With peace made between us three leaders, the conflicts should decrease.

With that said, the Archangel made to leave before I stopped him.

"Excuse me, but I need to make a quick request," I said.

"Hm? Saya, what do you need?"

"Since you're in charge of Heaven now and all, I was wondering if you could change things so Asia and Xenovia can pray without getting hurt."

It's something that's been on my mind for a while. Every time we have a meal together, I can see them beginning to pray but catching themselves just before.

Michael-sama seems to be taken by surprise at my question but he recovered relatively quickly. "Yes, I believe I can do that. Asia, Xenovia, do you two wish to be able to pray?"

Asia nodded. "Of course. Even if there is no Lord, I will still pray to offer Heaven my support."

"Instead of praying to the Lord, we will offer our prayers to you, Michael-sama," Xenovia added.

"Very well," the Angel said with a smile. "I will see what I can do as soon as I get there."

Man, he sure is nice. I wonder if all the other Archangels are like this as well.

"Saya, Michael-sama, thank you so much!" Asia said happily as she hugged me

"Yes, I have no words to express my gratitude," Xenovia said with a light smile.

"As long as you two are happy, that's enough for me."

It's true. Being able to see my friends like this makes me content.

And well, with that, the cleanup progressed as Michael-sama left for Heaven, Valhalla, and a place called Mount Sumeru to convey the news of the attack. Sirzechs-san proceeded with the cleanup with the leftover troops while Azazel-san disappeared somewhere to rest. Just like that, the chaos of the day ended with a signed peace treaty between the three factions.

To act as a memorial for this day and a symbol of comradery, the treaty was dubbed, "The United Kuoh Treaty".

* * *

The days after the conference were relatively peaceful. School resumed as if nothing happened. At least, until a certain someone decided to show up.

"Well, that's the situation so from now on, call me Sensei," the leader of the Fallen Angels said as he was dressed in an old suit standing in the ORC club room.

"Um… No. All you said is that you'd be our advisor and a teacher here. You didn't explain anything at all," Rias said.

"Hey, hey. I was personally requested by Sirzechs to do this. If you wanna complain, go talk to him."

Ah… so that's the reason.

"Anyways, old man, when did you get your arm reattached? I don't remember Asia healing you," I said, pointing to his complete limb.

"Oh, this? It's an artificial arm I made during my research with Sacred Gears. If you're wondering, it can also shoot energy blasts and missiles. Pretty neat, huh?"

Energy blasts and missiles? Jeez what's with that? What else can it do? A rocket powered punch? Act as a bomb?

The Governor went on to explain the real reason why he was asked to stay here and keep an eye on us. Apparently, Sirzechs-san wanted him to help all of us learn to better use our Sacred Gears because of the new threat of the Khaos Brigade. To be honest, I kind of didn't want the fight Valerie. There really was no reason for us to fight other than the fact that Ddraig and Albion are rivals. It's not like she wants to destroy the world or anything. She just wants to fight strong enemies.

Not to mention, I have a part of her inside of me now. I can feel it there, but I haven't exactly been able to use it since then.

Ah, come to think of it, summer vacation's coming up. When one thinks about summer, the beach is definitely one of the first things to come to mind. It's been a while since I last went to one.

By this point in time I had completely tuned out the conversation that was going on with the old man and Rias.

Something about some kind of competition between young Devils that's coming up.

" _Hey, Ddraig. Can you go into some details about that Juggernaut Drive thing?"_

The dragon didn't answer me for a moment.

 **[Like I said before, it's a super form of sorts that's even stronger than Balance Breaker,]** he finally said.

" _Yeah, but I'm going to need a little more to go on here."_

 **[It's… That's all you need to know.]**

Was it really that dangerous?

" _Ddraig, listen. If things are going to get even tougher from now on, I'm going to need all the tools I can get. If it's too dangerous, I won't use it unless I absolutely have to."_

 **[Partner,]** Ddraig sighed. **[Fine, fine. As you know, both Albion and I were sealed in our respective Sacred Gears by the leaders of the factions back then. Juggernaut Drive temporarily releases our sealed power at the expense of our host's sanity and life energy.]**

I see… So that's why. It definitely does sound dangerous.

 **[That's not all, though. Your mind will be invaded by the negative thoughts and feelings of my previous hosts, and until those thoughts are repressed, you'll stay in that berserk state.]**

" _I'm guessing this Juggernaut Drive is incredibly powerful, then."_

 **[Hah! Partner, you don't know that half of it! Even you in your prime wouldn't have been able to stand against me!]**

" _Right, right. You tell yourself that. I've killed quite a few dragons stronger than you in the past."_

 **[Man, we would've made great friends back then.]**

" _Better late than never."_

Ah… This feeling of friendly banter between the two of us. It's almost like I'm talking with Iris again. Maybe I should bring back a souvenir for her when I head back to the Rift. Hm… What could I get for a small fairy? I'll have to keep my eyes open.

Well. One thing at a time. For now, I'll have to stop Rias from strangling Azazel-sensei for suggesting we should let him dissect Gasper, Yumi, and me.

Looks like things are only going to get more lively from now on.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D+

 **Endurance:** D++

 **Agility:** B+

 **Magic:** D-

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly ejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Awakening:** EX – A pseudo-time stop ability that involves slowing down Saya's own perception of time by speeding up her body's processes. Depending on the duration, the damage done to her body changes.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.


	17. A Trip to Hell 1

**AN:** No new announcements this time. So please enjoy another light-hearted chapter of DRE with slightly more ecchi elements thrown in.

* * *

Ah… How did things end up like this? Both my arms are pinned down by Rias' and Asia's sleeping bodies as Akeno-senpai is assaulting me in my own bed. Right after a complete home renovation as well. I mean. For some reason, Sirzechs-san decided it would be a good idea for everyone to move into my house. That includes Akeno-senpai, Yumi, Koneko-chan, Xenovia, and Gasper. As a result, my house seems to have been modified overnight into a mansion.

Except, that doesn't matter right now. What matters is how I get Akeno-senpai off of me before Rias wakes up.

"Ufufufu… Your skin is so smooth, Saya."

"Ah… Hah… S-Senpai… We can't…"

I felt Akeno-senpai's fingers glide across my body as she lightly planted kisses across my neck.

Crap… This feels too good. I can't think clearly. I would try to struggle more, but I can't risk waking the other two up.

"Saya, you're so cute," Akeno-senpai said with a flirty smile. "Here, turn your head this way."

"Senpai..?"

No good. For some reason, whenever she's like this I just feel like I have to obey her.

"Call me, onee-sama."

"Um… O-onee-sama…"

Locking eyes, she leaned in and gently kissed my lips while continuing to stimulate my body. This feels so wrong, but… but… I can't resist her. Rias, please, forgive me. I don't think I can hold back anymore.

"Onee-sama… M-More…" I moaned through the kisses.

"Fufu, it seems like you're finally being honest with yourself."

There's that teasing smile of hers again. It's fine, isn't it? Letting my lust take over once in a while shouldn't matter, right?

This time, I leaned forward to kiss Akeno-onee-sama, but stopped when I felt a familiar chill wash over my body.

All of a sudden it seems like my head had cleared up.

Well… I hope she wasn't awake the entire time.

"Akenooo…" My Master growled as she sat up. "I thought I made it clear for you to not lay your hands on Saya."

"Ara, as her senpai, it's my duty to look after her and care for her, don't you think, Buchou?" Onee-sama – Ahem – Akeno-senpai replied as she lay on top of me.

I feel like this is going to turn into a bloodbath soon. As soon as I get the chance, I'm grabbing Asia and slipping away.

"I see… I can't argue with that logic. However, your kind of care is not needed!"

"Ara, ara. Are you getting jealous? You've already had your turn so don't you think all of us should be allowed to have some fun as well?"

"Grrr… Akeno, you…"

Without warning, Rias grabbed a nearby pillow and chucked it at Akeno-senpai. Well, at least they're not flinging magic around. Now seems like a good as time as any.

Hugging Asia, I quietly slipped out between the two of them, crept across my now huge room, and exited out the door.

Hah… I kind of wish Rias wasn't so aggressively possessive about me.

"Oh, Saya, Asia, you two are awake."

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a fully dressed Xenovia walking towards us. She sure gets ready early.

"Ahaha… yeah. I kind of had to, but Asia's still asleep, so can you keep it down a bit?"

Xenovia glanced at my room where sounds of an intense battle of pillows was being fought inside before nodding. "I see. I understand. In that case, now is a good time for us to procreate."

… She's still hasn't given up on that?

Without waiting for a response she continued, "It seems the drug I had last time was a fake, but this time I made sure to test it out on myself to confirm that it works. Well, Saya? Shall we begin?"

"Fuee… Is it morning already..?"

Asia! Just in time!

"Oh, Asia, you're awake! Come on, let's get clean up and go have breakfast," I said while quickly picking her up and carrying her to the bathroom.

"Ah… Okay…" she mumbled as she cutely rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Behind me I could hear Xenovia click her tongue.

I really hope I won't have to deal with this mess everyday from now on.

* * *

"The Underworld?"

"That's right," Rias nodded. "Every summer I return to the Underworld to visit my family."

Ah… That makes sense. It's like returning to your home country when you're a foreign exchange student.

"So, when will you be back?" I asked. "I mean, it's not like I'm going to be lonely, okay? So you don't have to feel like you have to rush!"

Yeah. That's right! I won't be lonely. I have everyone else here after all.

"Hm? What are you talking about? You're coming too, Saya."

Wait, what?

"Ah, so you mean we're all going?"

"That's right. As your master, it'll hardly befit me to leave you all behind. Besides, there are various events I want us to attend when we're there."

Why do I have a bad feeling about this? When she says events, I get the feeling she doesn't mean happy festivals where we walk around eating snacks and playing games.

"The plan is for us to stay in the Underworld for the duration of summer vacation. If anybody has any complaints, I would like to hear them now."

Looking around, nobody spoke up. Ah, come to think of it, I don't even know what everyone does in their free time. I should really think about getting to know everyone better.

"Hey now, don't you go forgetting about me, Jou-chan. I'm coming too."

Geh. Old man?! When did you get here?

"Azazel-sensei? How did you get in here?" Rias asked in surprise.

"Hm? You know. From the front door," he answered without batting an eyelid.

Seriously?

"Anyways," the Fallen Angel continued. "As your advisor, it's my duty to watch over you guys so I'm coming too."

Well, it's kind of hard to argue with that. He has somewhat been taking his job of training us and teaching us how to use our Sacred Gears effectively pretty seriously.

I just wish he would take stuff not related to Sacred Gears seriously as well. If it's not about having fun, the old man just doesn't want to have any part of it. Really. How can he be such a child? He's the leader of an entire race!

As I was mentally ranting, it seems Azazel-sensei had pulled out a notepad and began flipping through it. He then began listing off the things we were going to do in the Underworld. Oh man, that's right. I'm going to be meeting Rias' mother. I hope she isn't scary. Her dad seemed relaxed enough

Well, no use worrying about it right now. I'll just have to wait and see.

* * *

A train station? The entrance to the Underworld is a train station? Is there some illusory wall around here that we just have to run into?

"I can see that you're confused, Saya," Rias commented with a smile. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

Right… I hope it isn't something as dangerous as a secret underground entrance under the tracks or something.

Instead of any of the things I thought of, we headed for the elevators.

Ah, I see. This is one of those situations where the elevator has a secret panel or something. Looks like we're going to have to split up. It's definitely too small for all of us to fit in at once. Especially with all our luggage.

Rias and Akeno-senpai stepped in first before turning to us.

"Alright, Saya, Asia, and Xenovia, you three come in with us. Everyone else, follow after us with Azazel."

The three of us new recruits shared a confused look before filing into the cramped space. Once we were inside, Rias took out a card and pressed it against the panel. There was a beep before the elevator started descending.

Alright. So it isn't a secret button, but a secret electronic card reader. To think the entrance to the Underground was literally right under our noses.

We continued to go down for about a full minute before the elevator came to a stop and the door opened.

Stepping outside, the sight that greeted us was certainly breathtaking. We had arrived at a massive man-made cavern. Was this really below our train stations this whole time?

After the others arrived, we began making our way to another station.

Oh wow. I wonder if there are any secrets buried in this place? Just from the sheer size of it I'd expect there to be some loot to be found. Who knows, there might be some legendary sword stuck inside the walls somewhere.

As I was admiring our surroundings, Akeno-senpai walked up beside me and took my hand.

"Wha-? Senpai?"

She just smiled at me and continued walking with our fingers intertwined like… Wait, isn't this how lovers hold hands?

Ah… Just as I expected, I can feel several sets of eyes boring into me from all directions. Sorry, everyone, but I just can't seem to bring myself to say no. I guess that's a pretty bad fault of mine

After walking for a bit longer, we arrived at a platform with a strange looking train sitting on a set of tracks. On the side of the train were red engravings of the Gremory crest.

Noticing my gaze, Rias spoke up with a bit of pride in her voice. "That's right. This train is owned by our family."

Looks like being powerful in the Underworld also makes you automatically rich. How nice.

We followed Rias into the train and took our seats in the central car while she went to the first. I'm guessing she has some business to take care of.

Akeno-senpai, Asia, Xenovia and I sat with each other while Yumi, Koneko-chan and Gasper sat next to us. The old man, meanwhile, sat at the end of the car and was already fast asleep.

Not even five minutes into the trip, I already started getting bored. I was hoping there would be a huge, underground city for us to look at, but it's just been a dark tunnel.

Maybe I should take up Azazel-sensei's idea and just sleep the entire way. Ever since Rias and Asia began sleeping in the same bed as me, I haven't been able to get a good nights rest.

Yeah… Maybe I'll just close my eyes and go to sleep for a bit.

"Ufufufu…"

Wait, no!

Forcing my eyes open, I stared at Akeno-senpai who sat across from me who was giggling into her hand. That's right. As long as she's here, I can't let my guard down. Who knows what she could do to me. Not to mention Xenovia's right next to her. Asia might be able to protect me from one of them, but both would be troublesome.

Ah, jeez, this sucks. I wish I at least brought a book or something with me.

"Saya, if you're feeling tired, you can sleep on my lap," Akeno-senpai offered with a gentle look.

"It's fine, Senpai. I'll manage on my own."

"Don't be like that, come."

Akeno-senpai suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her so I ended up straddling her.

"Wh-Wha- Senpai?!"

"Just like this, I'll steal you away from Buchou when she's not looking."

Crap! She's really starting to get aggressive lately. I have to break free!

"Hyah! W-Wait, Senpai, where are you touching?!"

Seriously! Stop stroking my thighs! And stop slowly creeping your hands up my skirt! Is nobody going to help me?

"No perversion in public."

I felt a sudden tug on the back of my collar before being lifted up into the air. Ah… Koneko-chan, you're such a good girl.

She placed me back into my seat next to Asia before hopping onto my lap and making herself comfortable. She then proceeded to glare at Akeno-senpai.

"Ara… It seems like Koneko-chan might be a bit jealous," Senpai said while smiling sweetly.

My white-haired kouhai just pouted cutely and leaned back into my chest.

If it's like this I think I can get some sleep in.

"Thanks, Koneko-chan," I said as I hugged her closer to me and slowly let myself drift away.

* * *

"…ya…"

Mm… What..?

"Sa… ai…"

Who is it..?

"Wake up, Saya-senpai."

Somebody's shaking me. Alright, alright, I'll get up, jeez.

"Mrg… What's up, Koneko-chan?"

"Ho ho ho, it seems the sleeping beauty has awoken. My apologies Jou-chan, but I require you to be awake for this."

Huh? That's not Koneko-chan.

There was an old man dressed in an old train conductor's uniform standing beside me.

"Ah, no, that's alright. It's important, right?" I quickly brought my hands up to rub my eyes.

Eh?

Why is my face wet?

"Bad dream?"

I looked down at Koneko whom I was apparently still holding.

"Oh, um… Yeah, I guess…"

Well this is embarrassing. I don't even remember what the dream was about. There aren't too many things in the universe that can make me cry, so that narrows the list down a bit.

Ah, whatever. It's no use thinking about it.

"You know, Jou-chan, nightmares are usually a sign of repressed emotion and thoughts. It'd be good for you to let it out once in a while," the conductor said before taking his hat off and bowing. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself, how rude of me. I am Reynaldo, the conductor of this here fine train, and a loyal servant to the Gremory household. It is nice to meet all of you new Devils."

Quickly recovering, I smiled at him and introduced myself.

"I'm Hyoudou Saya. It's nice to meet you too, Reynaldo-san."

"Yes, um, my name is Asia Argento. It's very nice to meet you, Reynaldo-san."

"Xenovia Quarta. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"My, my. How nice it is to be young. Please wait a moment as I get you three registered."

After saying that, the conductor took out some sort of camera and took a picture of us.

Seeing the confused look on our faces, Reynaldo-san explained, "This machine reads your life signatures checks if the passengers have not been replaced by an imposter that wishes to harm us. It also registers new Devils in the database so you can use magic circles to travel between the Underworld and the human world."

So it's a pretty important process. And what was that about using magic circles to travel between the worlds? This must be why we didn't just teleport down here.

"Ojou-sama, since the formalities have been taken care of, I shall head back to my post. Everyone, there are many facilities here that can garner to your every need. If you should need anything personally, you should but ask and one of the servants shall attend to you."

The train conductor bowed again before returning to the front car. What a nice old man, but what he said to me earlier still lay heavily on my mind. What did he mean by repressed emotion? I mean, I went through a lot in the past and I've gotten past most of it.

"Saya, are you alright? You seem somewhat out of it."

I looked up to see Rias looking down at me in worry. Ah, shoot, I've been so lost in thought that I didn't even notice she was there.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. Hey, since everybody's here, why don't we have some fun?"

I shouldn't worry her. If it's some kind of suppressed memory of mine then I'll take care of it myself. My past isn't something somebody so young should be worried about.

* * *

Half an hour later, I still couldn't think of a reason why I would suddenly have a nightmare like that.

" _Hey, Ddraig, any ideas?"_

 **[Your guess is as good as mine. You have so many different memories inside your head it's a bit hard to sort out traumatic ones.]**

" _Yeah, I guess it's kind of a mess in there, huh?"_

 **[Don't worry about it, Partner. I'll sort things out for you. Just focus on having fun.]**

Right, have fun. We're on summer vacation here.

"Checkmate."

Huh?

"Ah… Aaaahhhh?! When did that happen?"

Without even noticing anything… all my pieces… my king was horribly surrounded too!

"Saya, are you sure you're fine?" Rias asked as she began cleaning up the pieces from the chessboard. "You looked like you were spacing out for the entire game."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. My mind tends to wander a lot," I replied.

We had decided to play chess with King of the Hill rules. So far, Rias has been cleaning us all up with ease. Akeno-senpai's probably the only person that can match her.

As we were setting up the board again, an announcement came over the speakers.

"We will be crossing the dimensional barrier momentarily."

I guess we're almost there, then.

"You three," Rias said to Asia, Xenovia, and me. "Why don't you take a look outside?"

Looking out the window, the pitch black darkness of the tunnel suddenly changed to a vast, open landscape. It certainly did look like we just entered another world. The sky was purple, there were mountains standing in the horizon with trees and forests decorating the prairies and hills.

The ominous looking sky did remind me of a few bad memories, though.

Everything all certainly did look like it was from the medieval period.

Next to me, Asia gazed in wonder at the new sights.

"Does this land all belong to your family, Buchou?" Xenovia asked.

"That's right. All of this is Gremory territory," Rias replied with a hint of pride.

Jeez. It looks like powerful Devils really get treated like royalty. I wonder how big this all is.

There were small towns dotted all over the place with people milling about doing their daily business. The populations of the towns were fairly small, but they still carried a certain life to them.

I bet the Gremory main house would be a massive castle if any of this is anything to go by.

"That's right," Rias said suddenly. "Saya, Asia, Xenovia, since you three will be gifted a portion of this land later, why don't you choose right now?"

This is seeming more and more like a feudal society.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You are all my servants, after all. Everyone else has already chosen their piece."

So I get to be a noble, huh? That'll certainly be a new experience. Although, if possible, I'd really just like to live in a small cottage in the woods.

With a snap of her fingers, Rias made a map appear and spread it out over the table.

There were pre-marked borders all with around the same area drawn over the map.

"The red portions are the ones that are already taken. You're free to take anywhere else."

She's right. There were quite a few ideal places already marked off.

After picking our territories, we decided to play Old Maid.

It seems the main house isn't too far from here. I'm actually kind of looking forward to seeing what Rias' house is like.

The train slowed to a complete stop and we all got off with Rias in the lead.

Azazel-sensei was the only one who didn't come with us. Something about a meeting with Sirzechs-san.

There was an army waiting for us as we made our way outside the train station. Well, I guess it would make sense for them to own their own private army as well.

"Welcome home, Rias-ojou-sama!"

The soldiers all shouted in unison as we walked through the path they made.

Following that, fireworks began going off as an orchestral marching band began playing.

Is all this fanfare really necessary?

"Eeeek! S-So many people…" Gasper shrieked as he grabbed my arm and hugged it.

As we proceeded along the path, butlers and maids also joined in the welcoming.

"Welcome back, Rias-ojou-sama."

Rias smiled and greeted them back

"Thank you everyone. I'm back."

Through the middle of the servants, Grayfia-san appeared and walked towards us.

"Welcome back, Ojou-sama. I am glad you arrived safely. Please follow me, and I shall lead you all to the carriage to take you to the main house."

Oh, the carriages look quite beautiful.

"I've prepared multiple vehicles for you so you may board whichever ones you like."

Since it was our first time, Rias, Akeno-senpai, and Grayfia-san decided to come with Asia, Xenovia, and me.

This sure brings back memories. It's been quite a long time since I last rode in a horse-drawn carriage like this. Not too long after we began moving, a massive looming castle appeared in our view.

"Wow… Buchou, you live in a place like this," Asia commented as she stared in wonder at the castle.

"That's right. That's our main house."

Once we arrived, we were greeted by another throng of butlers and maids making a path for us on a red carpet.

"Nee-sama! Welcome home!"

As we walked along the path in front of us, a young boy with red came running towards us and hugged Rias.

"Hey, Millicas! You've grown since I last saw you!"

Oh, I didn't know Rias has a little brother. Aw, he's so adorable!

Turning to us, Rias introduced the boy to us. "This is Millicas Gremory. He's my brother's son, so in turn, my nephew."

Okay, so not little brother. But looks like those two already had a kid, huh? How nice.

"Go on, Millicas. Say hi to my new Peerage members."

The boy bowed and grinned at us. "Right. My name is Millicas Gremory. It's very nice to meet you."

The three of us new Devils introduced ourselves again before all of us began heading through the large gate leading into the castle.

We entered into a massive reception area as per norm for most castles. In front of us was a grand staircase the branched to the second floor and all around us were separate hallways leading to other areas of the castle.

"Ojou-sama, I would like to show everyone to their rooms."

"Right, Grayfia. I need to go greet mother and father anyways. I take it the luggage has been taken care of."

With a snap of her fingers, a collection of maids appeared. "Yes. However, the master is currently out on business. He said he should be returning for dinner."

Ah… I can't wait to start exploring this castle. A place like this is bound to have a lot of secrets hidden inside the walls. Maybe I'll find some kind of secret treasury that's been long forgotten or multiple secret passage ways that lead to an evil sealed beast.

"Oh my, Rias. You've returned already."

Hm?

There was a beautiful woman descending down the stairs towards us. Her hair color was different but she shared a lot of features with Rias. Definitely closely related. According to my detective's intuition… I'd say that's Rias' mother. Despite her young appearance, she doesn't share the trademark Gremory hair, and yet she looks like Rias. That could only mean she entered the family from outside.

"Mother." Rias smiled brightly. "I'm home."

"And you must be Saya," Rias' mom said as she turned to look at me.

"Yes. That's right. My name is Hyoudou Saya, it's nice to meet you. I can see where Rias got her beauty from."

"Oh dear, oh dear." She touched her hand to her cheek at my compliment and smiled. "Are you always this smooth? After the engagement party and now, I can see why my daughter fell for you. Take good care of her, okay? Same-sex relationships in the Underworld are widely accepted so I give you two my full blessing."

"M-Mother!"

"Now, now, don't be like that Rias. You should be happy I support you."

"It's just… It's embarrassing!" Rias looked away with defiantly with a crimson blush adorning her cheeks.

It looks like I had nothing to worry about. Rias' mom is just as nice as I hoped she would be.

"Well, Saya my dear, it is very nice to meet you. I am Venelana Gremory, Rias' mother. Let's get along well together."

After meeting Rias' mom, we were all shown to our rooms by the maids. I can see where the design choices for the renovation of my house came from. My temporary room here was almost identical in regality to my room back home.

Since dinner wasn't for a while, we were all left with a bit of free time to do whatever we wanted. So of course, I took this opportunity to start exploring the castle a little bit.

* * *

Oh secret passages, where are you~?

 **[You sure seem to be in a good mood.]**

" _Well of course. It's been a long time since I last got to wander around a place this big. Who knows what I'll find."_

 **[Well, if that's what makes you happy, I won't spoil your fun.]**

I ran my hand against the walls and looked behind tapestries as I slowly and methodically traversed the hallways of the castle.

Hm… I bet there wouldn't be any hidden buttons, and instead there'd by illusory walls.

What kind of secrets does this place hold? I won't be satisfied unless I find at least one!

Continuing along my path, my hand suddenly went through the wall, throwing me off balance.

Found one!

So it was just an illusory wall. Just looking at it would be impossible to tell, but my hand just passes straight through it.

Alright, what kind of juicy secrets lie in wait here?

Taking on glance around to make sure nobody was watching me, I walked straight through the wall into a dimly lit corridor.

Nothing of note so far.

The corridor continued for a while until it lead me to a spacious room with a single orb floating on a pedestal in the center.

A magical artifact of some sort? I probably shouldn't touch it. Although, if there weren't any seals locking this place away, that means this thing isn't that dangerous.

" _Ddraig, any idea what it is?"_

 **[Sorry, partner. I've got no clue. I can sense a lot of magic radiating from it, though.]**

Yeah. Even someone like me can feel it.

I stepped closer to the orb and examined it. It was mostly clear except for a murky purple mist floating around inside of it

It really seems like there's no danger coming from it. Maybe I'll just touch it for a quick second.

As soon as my fingers grazed the orb, a shock was sent through my body.

"Ow!"

An alarm? No… It didn't feel like one. It was more like a transfer of power.

When I glanced down at my hand, I noticed a set of strange runes beginning to form on my palm.

" _Still nothing, Ddraig?"_

 **[Unfortunately no. However, I can tell you it's harmless. In fact, it might even be beneficial.]**

" _What's that supposed to mean? What does it do?"_

The dragon chuckled. **[I'll let you be the one to find out.]**

Great.

" _If this things turns out to be a bother, I'm going to give you a stern talking to later."_

 **[Don't worry, partner. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.]**

And so, I returned to my room after that little excursion and waited until I was called on by one of the maids.

During the wait, both Asia and Xenovia decided to move into my room due to them not being used to living in such large places. To be honest, neither was I. I much rather prefer a nice, cozy place.

After being sat down at the dining table, our food were brought out and placed in front of us by the servants.

Looks like Rias' dad is here.

"Everyone, please take your time and enjoy this meal," he said. "I want everyone to feel welcome here. If there is anything you should need, the servants shall prepare it right away."

Thus, the meal began. It's been a while since I dined in a setting like this so I'll have to be a bit more careful.

With all the elegance I can muster, I began digging into the high-quality aristocratic food.

Delicious!

Ah, no hold back. I can't let myself lose control here.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Asia and Xenovia somewhat struggling to handle the utensils like Rias' family.

"Hyoudou-san, may I ask you something?"

All of a sudden, Rias' dad called out to me.

Swallowing the food I had in my mouth, I nodded. "Yes, of course."

"How are your parents doing?"

That's… certainly not what I was expecting.

"Um… Fine, thank you. They seem to really enjoy the renovations that were made to the house. Why is it that you ask?"

"Ah, yes. I was just wondering if they needed anything else."

"Well… They did ask me to bring some souvenirs back for them, but other than that, they're not the type to ask for anything."

"Souvenirs, is it?" The red-haired man seemed to think for a moment before waving over one of the butlers standing behind him.

"Yes, master?"

"Please, prepare a castle immediately for Hyoudou-san's parents."

Sorry… what?

"Right away, master."

Huh?! I have to do something before this gets out of hand. Getting an entire castle as a souvenir would be too much! Besides, where would we even put it?!

"E-excuse me, Gremory-sama, but with all due respect a castle is a little too much," I interjected.

"That's right, dear. Not to mention with Japan being a small country, the space is a concern," Venelana-san added.

I shot her a grateful look to which she responded to with a gentle smile. She really is a great person.

"Hm… Yes, indeed. My apologies."

Ah man. The difference in culture here is pretty hefty.

A few moments later, Rias' dad spoke up again. "Hyoudou-san, another thing, if you will."

"Of course." Nodding, I took a sip of water.

"It is fine if you call me father from now on."

"Pfffft!"

I performed a magnificent spit take that fortunately did not drench anybody in liquid.

Spluttering and coughing I stared at the man who continued to eat as if nothing even happened. "Wh-wh-what do you mean? Isn't that a bit sudden?"

"That's right, dear. You have to wait until the two are married. Although, I can't say I don't want to hear Saya-san call me mother." Rias' mom once again supported me. I'll just ignore that last thing she said.

Off to the side, I can see Rias struggling to keep a straight face.

"Hm… Indeed. Forgive me. I seem to be a bit too excited at the prospect of having another daughter."

Ahahaha… It kind of seems like my relationship with Rias has been pretty much set in stone.

Silence washed over us again.

"Saya-san, will you be staying here a while?"

This time it was Venelana-san that spoke up.

"Ah, yes, that's right.

"I see. That's wonderful. We can take this time to get to know each other better."

"Yes. I look forward to getting more acquainted with you and your husband."

"My, my, how polite. My daughter has certainly chosen a wonderful partner."

It looks like Rias is about to explode from embarrassment at this point. Her entire face was red, and her body was shaking.

I should probably try to end this conversation or at least try to divert the subject.

"Ah, by the way, this is a wonderful castle," I said. "I bet there are tons of secret passageways all over the place."

"Oh? Are you perhaps interested?" Rias' dad asked. "I can have someone show you around later."

"I appreciate the thought, but I'd much rather find things by myself."

Just like this, the conversation topic changed from one thing to the next for the rest of dinner.

* * *

Yawning, I flopped down onto the huge bed that was in my room.

Ah, man. It'll definitely take years for me to comb every inch of this castle. Good thing I'm good at mapping out things in my head or I would've gotten completely lost.

Next to me, Asia and Xenovia were already quietly sleeping away. I had completely lost track of time as I was wandering around.

I didn't quite find anything else and the mark on my hand still hasn't shown any side effects. Ddraig said it had magical properties but right now it just looks like a tattoo.

A future together with Rias…

No good. Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter.

Well, whatever. I should get some sleep.

* * *

I was woken from my slumber by a knock on my door and somebody calling out.

"Saya-sama, its morning. Please, wake up!"

Ah, so the servants of the house do go around acting as alarm clocks.

"Right! I'm up!" I replied to the maid.

Stretching, I sat up in my bed to see Asia and Xenovia beginning to stir.

"Good morning, you two. I'm going to clean up first so you can stay in bed little longer."

"Fumu fumu… Okay, Saya…" Asia mumbled cutely as she hugged Xenovia.

Heh. Those two have gotten pretty close.

I hopped off the bed and immediately noticed that something was wrong. My entire perspective had shifted. In fact, everything seems so much closer to the ground than before.

It wasn't just a slight change. It's almost like I lost an entire two feet from my height.

What the hell? Don't tell me…

I quickly ran into the bathroom and looked into the full body mirror.

"Wh-wh-wh-what the hell?!"

Short! Why am I so short?! And I look younger too!

Did my age somehow regress? But how? Why? Can I reverse this?

 **[Hahahaha! How do you like the change, partner? Nice, ain't it?]**

" _Ddraig, what's going on?!"_

 **[No need to panic, partner. You'll go back to normal by tomorrow. It's just a side effect from that orb you touched.]**

That…

I checked the palm of my hand to see that the mark was still there but slightly faded.

 **[After this period where the magic is assimilating into your body, you'll be able to change your form at will. See? Didn't I tell you it'd be good?]**

Well that certainly does sound useful but that means I'll have to go through the whole day looking like this.

Ugh… today's going to be a long day. I can just feel it.

* * *

"Ahem… So that's how the situation is," I said when I finally finished explaining the situation to everyone who had gathered in my room.

After getting through their initial reactions, I already felt drained.

It didn't help that Xenovia suddenly barged into the bathroom with Durandal drawn. It also didn't help that when Rias and Akeno-senpai saw me, they immediately began fighting over who got to have me sit on their lap. Not to mention the pitying look Koneko-chan gave me.

Since we had made plans today, we were currently on a train headed to the capital of the Underworld with me sitting on Rias' lap.

It seems that not only did my body change, but some of my mental capacities changed as well. For example, I can no longer control the movement of my tail which was happily wagging back and forth with a mind of its own as Rias is continuously petting me.

Not like I'm objecting to it or anything, but this is kind of embarrassing.

"You know, you should be more careful about touching unknown objects, Saya," Rias scolded me as she kept stroking my head.

"I know! Jeez, I'm not a kid!"

For some reason, that sentence seemed to trigger something in her as she pulled me in even closer to her body.

A few hours later of constant petting, our train finally arrived at its destination.

Ah, I see. The big city seems to be more modern. There were skyscrapers, modern looking buildings, cars, etc. etc.

"Welcome to Luciferd, once of the central cities of the Underworld. Unfortunately, we can't explore the sights too much since we'll be riding the subway."

"Subway? Why is that?"

"Well if we go out, Buchou will definitely get swamped. She's quite a celebrity here after all."

It was Yumi that answered my question.

"Huh. Is it because she's Sirzechs-san's little sister?"

"Er… That's part of it…"

Our group continued off of the station with Rias in the lead holding my hand.

Her reason? She didn't want me to get lost. Seriously? She's really started to treat me like a kid after this happened.

As soon as we were out in the open, a chorus of cries erupted from a crowd surrounding the station that was cordoned off by men in suits and sunglasses.

Wow they've even got these stereotypical goons.

"Rias-samaaaaaaa!"

"I love you Rias-sama! Marry me!"

Oh jeez. Yeah, it really would be better if we didn't go out there.

Rias did her best responding to the crowd with smiles and waves as we made our way to the underground subway.

A short trip later on the subway, we arrived at our destination for our meeting.

From inside the elevator I could see that the building we were in was a one of the taller buildings around the center of the city. The glass elevator gave us a great panoramic view of the city.

I still don't know what exactly what this meeting is about, but from what I heard it's a gathering of the young and powerful Devils.

After getting off on one of the floors, we were lead into a room where there was a group of people already waiting there.

One of the Devils, a boy, there noticed us and waved to Rias.

"Rias, it's been a while!"

"Sairaorg, it's good to see you again."

Hm..? He kind of looks like Rias… A relative of some sort?

I scanned over the other Devils that were standing behind him. His Peerage, I'm guessing. They all looked super powerful.

"Let me introduce you," Rias said turning to me. "This is Sairaorg Bael, my cousin on my mother's side."

"It's nice to meet you, Saya Hyoudou, is it? I was extremely impressed with your victory against Riser. Although, I do think I remember you being older…"

Geh. He was at that party as well?

"A-Ahem. Yes, that's right, Sairaorg-sama. It is an honor to meet someone descended from one of the Seven Princes of Hell."

I chose to ignore that last comment. There's no reason for him to know about this little curse.

"Anyways, Sairaorg, what are you doing waiting out here?"

The male Devil sighed and nursed his forehead. "Zephrydol began arguing with Agares as soon as he arrived. I didn't wish to stay in there any longer so I came out."

Just as he finished saying that, an explosion came from inside an adjacent room that shook the building.

Great. This is going to end well.

With a worried look, Rias opened the door into the room with all of us following her.

The room had been, in all intents and purposes, split into two sides with Devils glaring at each other.

Should I do something? If it's just them, I should have no problem subduing them. It seems my magic ability has been weakened even more than it was before, but my physical ability seems to be much higher.

"You two, Zephyrdol of the Glasya-Labolas family, and Seekvaira of the Agares family, stop this at once or I will be forced to fight," Sairaorg-san said as he stepped toward them.

"Ah? What'd ya say, bastard? Stay outta this or I'll pound you're face in!" The male Devil on the left side of the room snarled.

Yeah, I think I'll leave it to him to take care of these small fries. That green-haired guy seems like the equivalent of a school delinquent.

"Once again, lower your weapons, or I will use force to make you."

Can that stupid Devil not feel how dangerous Sairaorg-san is? He's clearly outmatched.

"Ha! You wish! I'll show y-!"

In the blink of an eye, Sairaorg-san crossed the distance between him and the green Devil before landing a direct hit to him that launched him crashing into a wall on the other side of the room.

"I gave you two warnings. That should have been more than enough."

Nice. He's definitely extremely powerful.

Seeing my stare, Yumi spoke up. "Sairaorg Bael is known as the strongest up and coming Devil."

The top dog, huh? That explains the intense pressure he's giving off. I wonder if he can match up to Valerie-san? No. Even Kokabiel wasn't able to. At most, this guy would be around Kokabiel's strength level. Right?

After some clean up and repair, the leaders of the Peerages sat around a table while us servants stood behind our respective masters. During the commotion, it seems Kaichou and her Peerage arrived.

They were currently exchanging greetings with each other while we waited to be called on for something.

I took this time to gauge the other Servants in the room. The ones that interested me the most were the ones that belonged to Seekvaira Agares. According to Ddraig, they were all dragons, or at least related to dragons in some way. Interesting, but against Ascalon it would be a walk in the park.

Sairaorg Bael's Peerage apparently carried servants from pure-blooded Devil families. In other words, extremely powerful Master with extremely powerful servants.

Diodora Astaroth… Now this guy gives me chills. He looks nice on the outside, but my instincts are telling me that he's a scumbag. His servants are different though. It's as if… They're… It's hard to put a word to it. But they kind of remind me of Asia for some reason.

Sona Sitri, or Kaichou. I only really interacted with her and Saji before so I don't know too much about her Peerage. They all seem like decent fighters, though. Except, I can't figure out how they fight from just looking. I need some first hand experience.

Then there's Zephyrdol Glasya-Labolas. To be completely honest, his Peerage doesn't seem like anything special.

It wasn't long before an employee of the building came to fetch us. Looks like I'm finally going to see what this whole gathering is about.

We were led into a circular room, kind of like one of those high-order councils you see in TV shows.

The four Maous were seated in the seats above us along with other important looking Devils.

"It seems everyone is present. As you all may know, this gathering of young Devils has happened for many generations as a way for you all to assess one another," one of the old Devils said.

"We would like for all of you to compete against one another to increase your influence."

Competing. That means Rating Games, doesn't it?

The older Devils continued to speak about politics and the responsibility our Masters have in leading the Devil world into a bright, new future. Honestly, it wasn't really anything special.

"Now, then, with the long, drawn out talks finished, let us move on to a different topic. Tell me, everyone, what are your aspirations for the future?" Sirzechs-san asked.

Sairaorg-san stepped forward almost immediately and said, "I wish to become a Maou."

Hm? Dreaming big, is he? Well, I don't doubt he has the strength to do it.

Rias stepped forward next. "For now, all I want is to become a worthy head of the Gremory family and to win in Rating Games."

A fairly normal dream, but one I'll support nonetheless.

Kaichou was the last one to speak her mind, but it was probably one of the most selfless ones. One very befitting of her.

"My goal is the build a school that educates Devils on Rating Games here in the Underworld."

The old Devils looked confused at that.

"If it's that, then isn't there already one?" One of the Devils asked.

"The school I want to build will be open to all Devils regardless of class."

Ah, that silence can't be good.

Soon after Kaichou's declaration, all the older Devils burst out laughing.

"Sona Sitri, you do realize that low-class Devils exist to serve us of the higher-class don't you? There is no need to educate them on such things."

Tch. I thought so. It's almost always like this in societies where there's a caste system. The old generation just wouldn't understand.

I lightly pinched Saji just as I saw him trying to speak up. He looked like he was about to explode, but he managed to rein it in.

"No good will come of arguing, you'll just make Kaichou look bad," I whispered to him.

As the atmosphere began getting worse and worse, Levia-tan suddenly shouted, "Hey, if you old farts keep on bullying So-tan like that I'll get mad!"

The older Devils just looked at Levia-tan in surprise at her outburst. You know, I couldn't help but think that was on purpose.

"If that's the case, how about we have Sona and Rias fight each other in a Rating Game?" Sirzechs-san suddenly suggested.

Wait what? How did it come to that?

"If Sona wins this Rating Game and continues to win, she would have to influence to fulfill her dream. Not to mention it overlaps quite well with Rias' ambitions as well," the Lucifer continued to explain.

The two Masters looked at each other with wry smiles.

"Well, Sona? Our siblings are asking us to do this. What do you think?"

"I wouldn't think of losing chance like this, Rias. I'll gladly accept."

"Of course, I intend to as well."

So Kaichou's Peerage is our first official Rating Game opponent. What are the odds?

"Shisshou! I'll show you the fruits of my training!" Saji said with determination.

"Sorry, but I don't intend to lose," I replied with a smirk.

It'll make me look bad if I somehow lost against my own student. Although, it doesn't seem like he's making any progress with Kaichou, despite all the advice I gave him.

"It's decided then! The day of the Rating Game will be August 20th in human time! We'll all be looking forward to it~."

* * *

To think there would be a Japanese style hot spring in the castle. It sure has been a while since I last went to a hot spring. In fact… The last time ended up in a very bad time for a few boys who tried to peep.

No. That won't happen this time. Gasper isn't like that and Azazel-sensei is… well, I don't think Azazel-sensei would be interested in us.

After the meeting, we returned to the Gremory's castle to see Azazel-sensei waiting there for us. When we explained about what happened, he began planning for our individual training regimens.

"Hey, Yumi, do you mind helping me wash my back?" I asked the Knight as we walked out of the changing rooms together.

"Of course, I don't mind. But are you sure you don't want Buchou or someone else to do it?"

"Ahaha… I would but… I feel like my life would be in danger if I asked anyone but you or Koneko-chan…"

Even if Yumi has made it clear to me about her feelings of attraction to me already, she hasn't been aggressively pursuing me as the other girls which I'm extremely thankful for. In a way, I guess that'd be her strategy.

Yumi smiled knowingly at my answer. "Yes, that's right, isn't it? Very well, entrust your body to me and I shall take good care of it."

The Knight's hands were coarse with calluses, but her touch was gentle as she rubbed my body. Glancing behind me, I watched as she focused on her work. Despite her work to look a bit more masculine, there's no doubt that she's a girl from up close. Her short hair was cut in just the way that the bangs framed her face to make it appear sharper, and without her makeup on that she usually uses to sharpen her features, she looks softer and more feminine.

"How is it, Hime-sama?"

"It feels really good, Yumi. I wouldn't mind if you helped me relax like this every day."

"That can be arranged. We do live under the same roof now after all."

"Eh? But I don't really want to inconvenience you or anything…"

All of a sudden, Yumi stopped scrubbing my back and turned me around to face her. Grabbing my chin, she pulled me in towards her by my waist and brought our faces closer together.

"Y-Yumi?"

"You should know that I'd gladly do anything for you, Hime-sama."

Wait, why are you getting closer?! S-Stop! Any closer and we'll… we'll..!

Our lips touched for a brief moment before Yumi pulled away with a sly grin.

Man, she's good. A natural born predator. I'll have to watch out for her advances in the future.

After rinsing myself off, I joined Yumi in the hot springs as the others began filing out of the changing room. Good thing they didn't see the exchange just happened.

"Fua…" I sighed in content as I sunk deeper into the water. "So niiiceee…~"

"I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself, Saya," Rias said as she entered with Akeno-senpai.

Next, Asia and Xenovia came in with varying levels of excitement.

"Eeehh. So this is how a Japanese hot spring looks like!"

"I heard from the maids that the hot spring has many effects on beauty. Perhaps that will increase my sex appeal."

Koneko-chan was the only one who didn't seem too happy. I mean, she normally doesn't show much emotion, but recently she's seemed a bit more distant. Even during the train ride here while I was holding her, her mind seemed to be somewhere else.

"Speaking of sex appeal, Buchou, your chest seems to have grown a bit," Akeno-senpai commented.

"Eh? Really? Honestly, I think yours have grown more than mine."

Ah… there it is. The trope of girls talk during a bath together where we compare breast sizes.

Tch. Too bad the portion I stole from Valerie-san went away soon after our fight. Not to mention the state my body is in right now. It kind of hurts to know my bust is the same size as when I'm a kid.

"Hyaun! A-Akeno! Where do you think you're touching?!"

Ah. Akeno-senpai's begun groping Rias.

"Ara, I'm just checking to see if they really grew."

As those two were struggling with each other, Asia let out a dejected sigh. "Uu… I wish mine would grow…"

"Hm? I think yours have grown, Asia. Do you want me to check?"

"E-e-eh? U-um… I don't think that's necessary Xenovia…"

"There's no need to be shy. I also heard from a friend that they'll get bigger if you rub them."

"R-really… then… p-please, go ahead…"

No, no, no, no, no. Xenovia, what are you teaching Asia?!

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Yumi slowly inching closer towards me.

Oh no, I'm not going to let you get me.

I quickly got up and moved over to where Koneko-chan was quietly sitting. Ah, it's nice to have an ally.

"Hey, Koneko-chan, what's up? You know you can tell me anything. As your senpai, I want to be able to take care of you."

She stayed silent for a second before speaking up. "Not fair…"

"Hm? What's not fair?"

"Me too… I want to be with Saya-senpai, too…"

Eh?

The white-haired girl sank lower until the water was covering her mouth. She had a huge blush running across her face and I'm pretty sure it wasn't from the heat.

Come to think of it, I haven't exactly been interacting with Koneko-chan too much recently.

"Alright, I see."

Since I was smaller than even Koneko-chan right now, I couldn't exactly hold her in my arms so I just sidled up close to her and leaned her head onto my shoulder.

"You don't have to be afraid of being a little selfish once in a while, Koneko-chan. If you ask me for something I'll do my best to make you happy."

"Mu… S-Stupid senpai…"

"Hehe. I know, right?"

Smiling shyly, Koneko-chan hugged me and whispered quietly, "Thanks…"

Just like that, our second day in the Underworld ended peacefully.

Or…

That's what I'd like to say.

"Saya!"

"Uwah!"

I cried out in surprise as I was suddenly swarmed by everyone else.

"Which do you like better, big breasts or smaller ones?" Rias asked with a wild look in her eyes.

"Eh?"

"You like bigger ones, right?" Akeno-senpai said while pushing her breasts into my face.

"S-Smaller ones are better, right?!" Asia shouted.

"I'd say a nice balance is the best," Yumi said.

"Bigger ones are a sign of maternity," Xenovia finished.

Agh, no good… I… can't breathe..!

Somebody… Save me…

Ah, Koneko-chan! Have you come to help? Quick! Pull me out before I lose consciousness!

"Saya-senpai… We're allies so… you like small ones, right?"

What? Koneko-chan, not you too!

Azazel-sensei, Gasper, I don't care if you have to break through the wall!

Ahahaha… No good. Everything's turning black.

And with that, the second day in the Underworld really came to a close.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** D+

 **Endurance:** D++

 **Agility:** B+

 **Magic:** D-

 **Luck:** A++

 **Note:** The states in brackets indicate current training status.

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly ejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Awakening:** EX – A pseudo-time stop ability that involves slowing down Saya's own perception of time by speeding up her body's processes. Depending on the duration, the damage done to her body changes.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.

 **Shift:** EX - A new ability gained after touching a mysterious orb. The details are currently unknown.


	18. A Trip To Hell 2

**AN:** Woo! Update! Sorry for the wait again, but I had finals and all that. And now I have to subject you all to another long wait since I'm going on a psuedo-vacation. I'll still write as much as I can so I can start uploading again when I get back, but that won't be for another three weeks. Without further ado, let's kick this off!

* * *

After the whole hot springs fiasco yesterday, all of us had gathered in the garden in front of Azazel-sensei who handed us each a booklet detailing our personal training routines.

I skimmed through documents as there really wasn't much that caught my eye. My training was mostly just basic strength, endurance, speed, and magic training.

 **[Hold on, partner. What's that?]**

" _Hm? What?"_

 **[That! That thing you just read!]**

Before I could go over to see what I missed, Azazel-sensei began explaining everybody's training.

"Rias," the Fallen Angel called out while pointing to her. "As you can see, your training is mainly based on the fundamentals. As a King, it's more important that you can properly keep a calm mind and order your servants than fighting. Even if you aren't the strongest, your servants will make up for that."

So training up her general parameters while also training her tactical mindset.

"Next Akeno. If you don't use all of the tools you have available, you won't be able to bring out your full potential."

At this, Akeno-senpai's eyes darkened as she scowled at the Governor. "I have no need of that power."

"Don't be so stubborn. You could've easily taken care of Riser's Queen during that battle if you had used your powers of light as well. If you don't embrace that side of you, you'll just end up dragging everybody around you down with you."

He has a point there. Being half Fallen Angel, Akeno-senpai should be able to use the light powers they possess. That would be an extremely useful asset to us, especially in Rating Games.

"Kiba, you'll be elongating the time you have your Balance Breaker active until you can reach a full day. Of course, you should also be working on your swordsmanship."

I think Yumi's skills with a sword are already amazing, but I can see why she would want to get better.

"And Xenovia, to be able to handle Durandal better, you'll have to be able to wield a different holy sword."

A different holy sword? So train her with a stronger one so she can use Durandal easier.

"Gasper, you-"

"Eek! Y-y-yes?!"

Ignoring Gasper's high-pitched scream, Azazel-sensei kept going. "Have to do something about your fear. Your anxiety is holding you back from properly supporting your teammates. You innate abilities from your bloodline and your Sacred Gear should far surpass most opponents. That's why you need to change."

Without a doubt. As he is now, he won't be much help unless he drinks my blood.

"Asia, you'll be focusing on getting more proficient at using your Sacred Gear. At this moment, your weakness is proximity. You have to be touching someone in order to heal them, but with some magic training, you should be able to heal allies far away."

"R-Right!"

That certainly would be a very helpful thing to have.

"Next, Koneko. You're already quite skilled and powerful, however, just like Akeno you are holding yourself back."

It's because of her beast nature, isn't it? She may have been able to seal it like me, but it's almost impossible to entirely suppress those instincts.

Koneko-chan's expression darkened when she heard that but she didn't voice any complaints.

"Finally, Saya. I have something special prepared for you."

At that, Azazel-sensei looked up into the sky.

Hm, what? What's up there?

Suddenly, a silhouette blotted out the portion of the sky we were staring at before it began speeding down.

That shape… isn't that a dragon?!

The massive beast landed in front of us with a large crash and kicked up a dust cloud.

 **[Ah… So I didn't read wrong.]**

Eh? This was the thing Ddraig was telling me to reread?

"Ddraig," the dragon spoke up. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The Boosted Gear appeared on my arm and Ddraig responded. **[Tannin, it has been quite some time.]**

"An old friend of yours, Ddraig?"

 **[In a way. He was one of the Dragon Kings before he was reincarnated as a Devil.]**

Wait, dragons can be turned into Devils too? Who in the world reincarnated a dragon?!

"Tannin, as requested of earlier, I want you to train this girl," Azazel-sensei said.

"Hrm. I don't see why Ddraig can't do it himself," the dragon pointed out.

"Yes, but there's a kind of training that only you could give Saya."

"Oho? I see. Some hands-on training, is it?"

Oh dear… That doesn't sound good. Is my training really going to be fighting a dragon?

"You two will have 20 days in human world time to reach a full Balance Breaker. Do you think you can do that, Tannin?"

"Hmph. Of course. I'll be able to do that in half the time!"

"Alright!" Clapping his hands, Azazel-sensei shouted out to all of us. "Disperse! And make sure you follow your individual orders!"

With that, everyone began leaving the garden area where we gathered in, leaving me alone with Tannin.

"Well, Ddraig's host, are you ready to be put through the wringer?"

"Ahaha…" I chuckled nervously. "Go easy on me, please?"

Something akin to a smirk appeared on the dragon's face before he grabbed me up in his mouth and began flying away.

The last time I fought a dragon, it could fire a laser that decimated everything within 5km. Hopefully Tannin doesn't have any ridiculously powerful moves like that.

* * *

"Hah… Hah… Hah… S-Stop, please! I-I need some rest!"

As a response to my pleading, Tannin shot out a stream of fire from his mouth, scorching the ground around me and nearly burning my hair off.

"Come on, come on! If you don't keep moving, you'll end up dead!"

Oh gods. This is like my first journey all over again. Being constantly on the move dodging a dragon's attacks while foraging for food is just like old times.

In a situation like this, all one can do is continue to run while slowly chipping away at the enemy's health. In other words, a battle of attrition.

Every single day from morning to night was spent throwing weapons at Tannin's hard scales while simultaneously avoiding getting obliterated by a swipe from his massive claws or his fire breath. Whenever I managed to break contact with him, I would slow down, catch my breath and hunt for food to keep my energy up. Sleep is completely out of the question so I used a couple of pills to help keep me alert. The moment I let myself slip is the moment I die.

Quickly stuffing my face with some jerky I made from a wild boar monster I killed earlier, I slowed my sprint to a jog and surveyed my surroundings. I've must've travelled quite a few hundred kilometers by now considering I haven't crossed the sections of the forests Tannin burnt down. I wonder if it's really alright with the Gremory family for us to be running amok in their territory.

This is just what I needed, though. Because of this life-or-death situation, I could feel myself steadily improving amongst all aspects. Now, I can use a few more special moves I've learned and ripped over the course of my lifetimes.

The beating of wings approaching caught my attention. Looks like it's time to go again.

Take hold of the ground, and push!

In an instant, I had travelled the nearly 10 meters. A technique called Shundo. I picked it up quite a long time ago, but I didn't have the necessary skills to use it until now in this life.

I continued to use the instant movement technique to flash to and from cover as streams of fire burned the forest behind me.

It also kind of helps me to move faster in my child form.

Another thing I learned during my training was that my new ability has different benefits.

The ability to change my apparent age also changes my stats. The younger I am, the faster I get. The older I am, the more attuned to magic I get. Lastly, the prime for my strength seems to be early adulthood.

Anyways, no time to be loitering around.

Leaping into the air, I used Shundo to quickly speed towards Tannin, catching him off guard. The momentum carried me through the air as I spun around with a pair of short swords.

The swords slashed open a healing wound on his hide as I tore through the air.

"Hm. Not bad. You've certainly gotten better."

Grasp the air, push!

With successive Shundos, I kicked off the air and repositioned myself above the dragon. One more kick and I was flying down before landing on his back.

Before I could begin hacking away at his scales, though, a familiar voice called out to me from above.

"It looks like you two have been enjoying yourselves."

Azazel-sensei?

I glanced up to see the Fallen Angel hovering above us holding a bag in his hand.

"Azazel-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"What? I can't come visit one of my students? Well, I do have another reason for coming here, but first why don't we relax for a while?"

From inside the bag he took out a box and a thermos.

Food! Properly prepared food!

After setting down, I hopped off of Tannin's back and joined Azazel-sensei whom had set up a small picnic area.

I immediately opened up one of the boxes the Fallen Angel brought and began devouring its contents.

"Hahaha. Take your time, Saya. You've still got six more handmade lunches to go through."

Six more? That means everyone made something for me. Ah, how nice. I wish I could return the favor from here. Except, I don't think they'd appreciate stiff jerky and raw plants for a meal.

"Anyways, you're quite the survivalist, aren't you?" Azazel-sensei commented as he pointed at the makeshift pouches I use to store food hanging off of a vine I had wrapped around my waist. There was also a waterskin hanging off of there.

"Well, as I told you before, I have experience with this sort of situation," I replied in between mouthfuls of delicious food.

"Without a doubt your skills at slowly wearing me down while keeping yourself healthy caught me off guard," Tannin said as he lounged next to us.

In almost no time at all, I had finished off all the food Azazel-sensei brought. Eating just enough to survive meant that I was constantly feeling hungry so this was a huge relief to me.

"Hey, Saya, what do you think of Akeno?" Azazel-sensei suddenly asked me.

"Huh? Um… Despite her sadistic tendencies, she's a really nice person."

"Mhm, mhm. I see. And how do you think of her as a woman?"

What's with this line of questioning?

"As a woman… She's, well, um… attractive. Really attractive. I like everything I've found out about her."

"Good. That's good." Azazel-sensei nodded. "You see, an old friend of mine asked me to watch over her and now I'm thinking of passing the torch onto you."

An old friend…

"You mean Baraqiel, right?"

"Oh, Akeno's already told you?"

"Yeah. I saw her wings."

"Well that makes things easier. Ever since that incident, that girl's hated Fallen Angels, but most of all, she's hated her old man the most."

Incident. I won't get Azazel-sensei to tell me what happened. It'd be better if I had Akeno-senpai tell me.

"That girl is fragile when it comes to the Fallen Angel blood that run in her. Since I'm a Fallen Angel as well, she probably won't listen to what I say so I can only count on you to break her out of her shell."

"Of course. I've already thought of that myself. I don't plan on letting Akeno-senpai's hatred drive her."

Azazel-sensei smiled in relief and pat me on the shoulder. "Good, I knew I could count on you. Now, onto a more important matter, Koneko."

Koneko this time? From what I gathered earlier, she's in a similar situation as Akeno.

"What's her situation?"

"Since she's beginning to fall behind the rest, she's a bit impatient at getting stronger. In fact, just this morning, she collapsed.

"Collapsed?! Is she alright?"

For Koneko-chan to collapse is…

"It seems she's overexerted herself just a bit too much. That's why I came here to take you back momentarily."

I can't believe it. Just how hard did she push herself to make herself collapse from exhaustion like that?

"Alright, Sensei, please take me to her!"

Smiling, the Fallen Angel stood up. "Ah, also, Rias' mother also wants to talk to you."

Eh? Why do I get the feeling that's the real reason he came here?

* * *

This was the last thing I expected when I heard Venelana-san had called for me. The two of us were gliding across the ballroom floor, holding each other in a slow waltz. After I had gotten back from the mountains, I got cleaned up and changed to look as presentable as I can before we got started on our little dancing lesson. It seems she wants to prepare me for life in noble society. Good thing I already have some experience with this kind of stuff.

Step-one-two, step-one-two, step-one-two.

"My, my, Saya. You're quite good at this, aren't you?"

Step-one-two.

"I've had experience, my lady."

Step-one-two.

"Not only do you have proper etiquette when dining, you also know how to dance? It seems like I have nothing to worry about with you and Rias being together."

Step-one-two.

"Ahahaha… Th-Thank you…"

Rias' mom is nice but… she can certainly be somewhat pushy. Same with her dad.

Stopping, she broke contact with me and smiled. "I think that should be enough today. You're worried about Koneko, aren't you? It's written all over your face."

Ugh. Was it really that obvious? I had tried to mask my worry… I guess being a child makes it harder to keep things to myself.

"Yeah, I was planning to go visit her. Is she okay?"

"Yes, thankfully it was just from overexertion. With some rest, she should be back on her feet."

"I see… Can you tell me for about her? Just a little about her situation. I heard from Azazel-sensei that she's like Akeno-senpai."

Venelana-san put a hand to her cheek. "Ah, yes, that girl is… Well, let me tell you a story, then."

She led me out of the ballroom to a lounge where we sat down across from each other. Venelana-san called for a maid who poured us a couple cups of tea before beginning the story.

"There once were two sisters who were cats. Their mother and father were both dead, so they struggled to survive through each day."

Cats. So Koneko-chan is some kind of cat hybrid.

"One day, a Devil found them and took them in under his wing. The older sister began getting stronger and stronger beyond anybody's expectations. Overtime, the power she wielded consumed her and turned her insane and evil. She killed her master in her blood frenzy, ran away and disappeared, leaving the little sister behind."

A power that made her both insane and evil? Something doesn't quite fit right. Someone who's insane doesn't just kill one person and then successfully get away. In this case, it'd be safe to say the older sister was deemed as a Stray Devil. From the hunts we went on in the pass, most stray Devils are easily caught and eliminated.

"As a result, the Devils began a purge on the race, killing every last one of them. However, a kind-hearted Devil intervened and saved the little sister. That Devil then passed the little kitten to his little sister whom took very good care of her."

Ending the story, Venelana-san took a sip of her tea.

That's… Koneko-chan's story… I guess she isn't very fond of her blood because of that incident.

"Thank you, moth – I-I mean, Venelana-sama. I feel like I understand now."

"Huhu. Well, I think I've kept you here long enough. You should go see how she's doing, my future daughter-in-law."

Haha… Hah… Ah… Every time she says that I can feel my face heat up.

"Yeah, I'll just… I'll be taking my leave."

The maid standing to the side began leading me towards to where I assume Koneko-chan's room is. On the way, we bumped into Rias who seemed to be heading to Koneko-chan's room too.

"Ah, Saya! You're back!" She shouted before immediately embracing me.

"Yeah, I'm back. It's nice to see you again."

"Life has been so hard the past days for me without being able to hold you. I was lonely, you know?"

Hugging her back, I let myself melt into her arms. It's so comfortable I could fall asleep right here.

Wait, no. I can't let myself pass out!

"Thanks, but we have to stay strong until our training sessions are over. Okay?"

With slightly teary eyes, Rias nodded. "I'll try my best. I'm looking forward to see how strong you become."

Well I've already made quite a bit of progress with just almost a week of training so the end result should be great.

"Anyways, how's Koneko-chan?"

A look of worry crossed Rias' face when I asked that.

"Her physical state is fine, but her mental state is somewhat fragile right now. Here, follow me."

At Rias' orders, the maid left us and she began leading me to another guest room that looked similar to mine.

Rias opted to wait outside and told me to go in where I saw Koneko-chan lying in her bed with Akeno-senpai standing by her side.

There was a pair of white cat ears sitting on top of Koneko-chan's head that weren't there before. Her method of suppression must've been disabled when she collapsed.

Noticing me entering the room, Akeno-senpai bowed and greeted me. "Ah, Saya. Welcome back."

Moving up next to the bed, I hovered over Koneko-chan's prone form.

"Hey, Koneko-chan. How're you feeling?"

Cracking open her eyes, my kouhai stared up at me. "Why are you here, Saya-senpai?"

"Because I was worried. You're my cute kouhai so of course I would come to check up on you," I replied with a gentle smile.

Koneko-chan simply stared back at me, but a slight blush formed across her cheeks.

"Thanks…" She mumbled.

"You know, you shouldn't overexert yourself so much. Training so much that you end up collapsing is detrimental to your body. Taking care of yourself is also a part of training."

"I know but…" Sitting up in bed, Koneko grasped my hand and held it tightly. "I don't want to be left alone… Yumi-senpai, Xenovia-senpai, and Saya-senpai. All three of you are getting stronger and stronger. Even though I'm a Rook, right now I'm the weakest… I'm useless… I don't want to be left alone again…"

As she continued to talk, tears began to freely fall down her face. "Even though I have this power inside of me, I'm scared..! I don't want to become like Nee-sama..!"

Her sister that killed her own master and abandoned Koneko-chan. There has to have been a reason. Maybe if I find this sister of hers I can find out the truth.

Seeing Koneko-chan cry like this for the first time in my life tore my heart apart. All I wanted to do right now is to hold her tell her that everything's alright, but I know that won't fix the problem. We can tell her all we want that we won't abandon her, but unless she finds the strength inside of her to overcome that barrier, she won't be able to bring out her true potential.

I can only just offer words of encouragement right now.

Ah, maybe I can give her something else too.

Reaching into my Vault, I pulled out a small handmade charm.

"Here," I said while placing the charm in Koneko-chan's hands and closing her fingers around it. "There isn't really anything magical about this, but I made it myself as a sort of good luck charm. You can have it."

"Eh? B-But Senpai…"

I gently pat her head before pulling away from her. "I'm going to let you rest a bit more. Just remember, no matter what may happen, we'll always be your allies."

With those parting words I left Koneko-chan's care in Akeno-senpai's capable hands. In a situation like this, Akeno-senpai would without a doubt be more equipped to handle this situation.

Over the next month, all of us have to work hard.

* * *

After a long and arduous training session with Tannin out in the wilds, I finally returned to the safety of the Gremory residence. Seriously, I feel like I'm gonna die. Well, it's a good thing I got a lot stronger over the course of my time with Tannin.

First things first, I'll have to get some new clothes. I can't exactly go wandering around the castle looking like an Amazon. Even though I took the time to use the leather I tanned from the animals I hunted to make some clothes, it still doesn't exactly cover enough.

I hope nobody sees me like this. Especially Rias or Akeno… I have no idea how they would react.

"My, Saya, is that you? How brazen."

Eh? That voice. Yumi?

Turning around I saw the Knight walking up to me with her jersey in tatters. At least she's better off than me. She still has clothes.

"That dragon really worked you, didn't he? You look terrible," she commented on my appearance as she ruffled my messy hair.

"You look pretty bad yourself, Yumi."

It's true. Her normally clean look was now replaced by a rough, veteran's appearance. Scars marred her otherwise perfect skin, not to mention there are definite muscles accentuating her curves.

"Saya, Yumi, it's good to see you again."

Even though that was Xenovia's voice, what I saw really threw me off guard. She was walking towards us wrapped up like a mummy in bandages. Not only was she covered in them, but her work was extremely sloppy as well.

Trying to ignore her bizarre appearance, I greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Xenovia. It's nice to see you too."

"Saya! Welcome back!"

From out of the front gate came Asia dressed in her nun outfit running towards me with her arms spread open. Once she got close enough, she leapt into my arms and hugged me tightly.

"Hey, Asia. I'm back."

I gently stroked her head as she nuzzled into me. Ah… If this is how Asia reacts after not seeing me for a month, I can only imagine what Rias is going to do.

Before that, I should really do something about my state of dress. Even though the others don't seem to mind it, it wouldn't do for me to present myself in front of Rias' parents like this.

However, once again I was interrupted in my endeavor to slip away when Rias suddenly appeared and hugged me from behind.

"Saya… Ah… I've missed your smell so much," she mumbled as she unabashedly began sniffing me.

Seriously? This is the first thing you say to me? Not a welcome back or anything? Just straight to this?

Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else. Although her heavy breathing is kind of unsettling I'll just have to bear with it until she calms down.

A couple minutes pass and she's still clinging to me.

A few more minutes.

Still not letting go.

Alright never mind. It doesn't seem like she's going to stop anytime soon.

After a minute of trying to pry her off of me, Rias finally regained her senses.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat into her fist while trying to hide her embarrassment. "After everyone gets changed, I want to hear your results on your training."

Hold on, Koneko-chan and Akeno-senpai aren't here. Are they alright? Well, they're probably already inside. I think they managed to complete their training as well.

When I went to take a step to follow the others as they were heading inside, I stumbled slightly as I felt all the fatigue I accumulated over the month.

Ah… No good. I can't fall asleep yet. I'll have plenty of time to rest later, but for now I have to focus. I'm surprised I'm even still standing. It seems my body really has grown much stronger

All right! I'll be sure to not disappoint in the upcoming Rating Game!

After a quick shower and change of clothes, everyone had gathered in my room for some reason. I mean, I can guess why, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to meet in a lounge or something?

According to Yumi and Xenovia's accounts, their training seemed to be mainly focused on their skills with swords. Of course, it doesn't sound anything as strenuous as mine.

After their turns were over, it was finally my time to give my report. I spoke about how Tannin ruthlessly chased me down day and night, giving me almost no time to rest. I told them about how I had to forage and hunt for food. Before long, my report had turned into a rant about how my clothes were constantly being ruined by a rain of fire and brimstone, how I survived by keeping my energy up by eating the bare minimum, how I was attacked by strange tentacle creatures and… and… Okay, I probably don't need to go into more detail than that.

Once my story was done, everyone just stared at me. Please, someone, anyone, say something.

"It… sounds like you had a hard time…" Yumi commented.

"Indeed. I don't believe I could have survived something like that," Xenovia said while looking at me with pity.

"Even I'm surprised you made it through that."

Azazel-sensei… Please don't add that unnecessarily. If I didn't have previous survival experience I definitely wouldn't have made it.

"Well, even after going through all that, you didn't achieve a full Balance Breaker, did you?"

I nodded.

"Unfortunately, there weren't enough conditions to let me reach that point. It really seems like emotions have to be the sole driving factor and not just the will to live."

Even after going through that situation, all that was increased are my parameters. Azazel-sensei didn't seem too bothered by that fact either. Looks like he expected that.

"Anyways, you guys should take this time to rest. The party is tomorrow so take your time and have fun."

With a flippant wave, the Governor walked out of my room leaving the rest of us to ourselves.

Almost immediately after he was out of sight, Rias grabbed me and snuggled with me.

"Saya! You poor thing! Don't worry, I'm here now. I won't let anything else hurt you anymore!"

Ah… This is kinda nice. I wouldn't mind staying like this for the rest of the day.

In the end, the maids had to come pull Rias off of me and send her back to her room for the night.

* * *

Stretching, I leaned over the balcony overlooking the massive garden, enjoying the feel of the cool night breeze. I had changed into a tailcoat vest and a white dress shirt that the maids had prepared for me while the other girls seemed to be taking time getting ready. No matter how many times I wear something like this, I can never seem to get used to it. It's so stiff and constricting.

"Shisshou?"

That voice. Saji? He's here too?

Turning around, I saw the brown-haired boy dressed in a suit of his own. His hair was slicked back and he had a bow tie on instead of a tie.

"Saji. You're looking pretty smart."

"Eh? Oh, um… thanks. You um… look really good, too."

I only meant that to be a playful comment but it seems like he took it seriously. Maybe I should take this a little further. It'd be pretty fun to tease him.

"Well, well, Saji-kun. Did I steal your heart? I thought you only had eyes for Kaichou," I said while flipping my braided ponytail over my shoulder.

"W-Wha-?!" Saji's face immediately flushed red. "N-No! That's not it! It's just that, well… I've always thought you were pretty, but for some reason you look even more beautiful now."

Jeez. What is this idiot saying all of a sudden? Saying something so embarrassing.

Clearing my throat, I decided to change the subject before he embarrassed the both of us any further. "So, we'll be fighting against each other soon, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

The mood suddenly turned serious as Saji joined me next to the railing.

"I've been put through hell for the past month, you know that?"

"You too?"

"Haha!" I gave a dry laugh. "Can you imagine being chased around in the wilderness by a dragon constantly trying to roast you alive?"

"Er… Wow. Nevermind. My training seems to be a lot easier compared to that."

Yeah, I doubt anybody else was treated this harshly. Seriously, just cause I was kind of weak compared to everybody I had to go through that hell.

"Hey, um… Shisshou – no – Saya-san," Saji spoke up hesitantly. "Since I didn't really get the chance back there, I just want to say thank you."

"Hm? For what?"

"That time during the meeting where I almost lost it when Kaichou was being looked down on. I want to thank you for holding me back. If you weren't there for me, I definitely would've made things worse. Thank you."

Saji had bowed nearly 90 degrees before me during his thanks. I didn't really expect for him to be so sincere.

Patting him on the shoulder, I brought him up so we were at eye level. "You don't need to go that far to thank me, Saji. We're friends so something like looking after each other is normal."

"Shisshou…"

"There's no need to call me Shisshou anymore. I taught you everything I know a long time ago."

"Then, Saya-san?"

"You can drop the "san"."

"How about Saya-chan?"

"Eh?"

That one caught me off guard. But…

"Hehehe. J-Just kidding! Yeah, as I thought, that's a bit embarrassing," Saji laughed nervously as he scratched at his cheek.

"Well, it's not really that bad. You can call me that if you want."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yep. You're going to be the first guy friend to call me that, so you better be grateful for that privilege!"

"Pf… Hehe! Alright. I'll take you up on that."

I enjoyed a brief silence that washed over us

"Hey, Saya-chan. You know, my dream is to become a teacher," Saji suddenly said.

"A teacher? For Kaichou, right?"

"Y-Yeah…" He scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "It's kinda pathetic that I can't really think for myself, but I just want to help Kaichou, you know?"

"And also…" Saji's voice turned serious as he continued. "Kaichou's dream isn't just to establish a school. If she manages to build a school where both low-class and high-class Devils can learn together, then hopefully more places in the Underworld will take after that idea. Even if the caste system that Devils have are being chipped away, there's still a status quo being maintained and Kaichou wants to get rid of that discrimination."

"I see. You're a good kid, Saji," I complimented him while reaching up to pat his head.

"Wh-what are you doing?! Stop that, that's embarrassing!"

Ignoring his protests I continued to pat his head. "That's a good dream to have Saji. It just shows how devoted you are to the one you love. Don't be afraid to hold you head up with pride. Remember, you accomplishments are Kaichou's accomplishments so as long as you make yourself look good, Kaichou will look good as well."

"Sheesh." Saji brushed my hand off of his head with an embarrassed look. "You sound just like my mom. When I told her I wanted to be a teacher, she just said "You? Become a teacher?" with a proud smile on her face."

"Heh. I'm sure you'll be able to become a good teacher."

"Yep. That's why we have to win the upcoming Rating Game!"

"Oh? Can I take that as a challenge?"

"You bet it!"

"Well I'm not planning on losing, either!"

I found myself grinning stupidly along with Saji at the prospect of our competition.

"Well, it looks like you two are getting along quite well."

Turning around, I saw everyone else stepping out onto the balcony in beautiful dresses apart from Yumi who wore something more like a prince's attire.

The maids here really knew their stuff. The makeup work was immaculate and their hair was styled to perfection.

"Kaichou…"

Beside me, Saji stared open-mouthed at Kaichou's appearance. She certainly is extremely pretty.

"Go on, idiot," I urged him as I pushed him forward.

As Saji began to stumble over his words, I joined Rias and the others.

"You all look wonderful," I complimented them. "Truly, a garden of beautiful flowers."

Since we're all dressed up, I might as well make the most of it and have some fun with it.

After everyone had gathered, we were told to head to the garden by a butler who told us that our ride had arrived. What met us there caught almost everyone off guard. I already knew about the arrangement beforehand, after all.

There were about 10 dragons including Tannin waiting for us.

Yep. We were going to be riding dragons into the party.

"Hey, Saya. I'm kind of disappointed you didn't wear a dress like the others," the dragon commented when he saw me.

"Yeah, well unfortunately it seems my choice of clothing was already decided beforehand," I answered with while crossing my arms. "Seriously. The maids didn't even give me the chance to choose."

"Kuhuhu. Well, climb on and we'll be off. Don't worry about your clothes and hair getting ruined. We've placed a protective barrier so the wind won't be a problem."

"Thank you, Tannin. We'll be counting on all of you, then."

And with that, once everyone was on a dragon, we took off flying.

The view from the air was amazing and it was only compounded by the fact that I didn't have to worry about the wind biting into my face. It was definitely something amazing. This had been my first time riding on top of a dragon and seeing such a thing. Every other time I've been on top of a dragon was either because I was about to get swallowed whole, or I was trying to stab its brains out.

Good thing some of the dragons in this world aren't all jerks who go around killing every living thing they see.

As I was gazing at the scenery, a question suddenly popped into mind.

"Hey, Tannin. Why did you decide to become a Devil?"

"That's pretty sudden to ask, but well if I had to say, it's because I can keep fighting in those Rating Games. Nowadays, the world has become peaceful so there aren't any wars I can enjoy myself in."

"Well that's definitely better than going around and causing chaos."

"My thoughts exactly. I like fighting, but I don't like fighting so much that I'll abandon all my morals."

The morals of a dragon. I wonder what they could be, considering how different they are to us.

"Anyways, another reason is because of the dragon's apple."

"The dragon's apple?"

"Is that some sort of secret artifact?"

"Not quite. It's a type of fruit that a certain race of dragons have to eat in order to survive except the fruit's become extinct in the human world and the only place left for it to grow is in the Underworld."

So that means…

"So you became a Devil so you could gain territory that grows those fruits in order to provide a sanctuary for those dragons?"

"Smart. That's exactly it. I've also been doing some research on how to farm these apples as well but because they're so unique, it takes time to complete."

How nice. A lot of stories said that dragons are selfish creatures that only care for themselves, but it seems Tannin doesn't follow that stereotype.

"You're a good dragon, aren't you? There, there, good boy," I praised Tannin while patting his head. I wonder if he can even feel this?

"Kahahaha! How amusing. This is the first time I've ever been treated like a child! Even if you're technically immortal, I am still your elder in every aspect, you know."

"Oh I know. I just thought you might enjoy a reward for all the hard work that you've done."

As we continued on our journey, Tannin told us stories of his past before he turned into a Devil. Although, as was expected his stories were mostly how he would wipe out entire legions that would come to hunt him down.

After arriving at the designated location, Tannin and his group bid farewell to us as they went to their own section of the party. Makes sense, considering how big this place was. It's almost like a small town was built just for occasions like these.

We were then picked up by a limousine which promptly took us to the area where the main party was.

During the ride, Rias suddenly spoke up and said something I didn't expect.

"You were riding on Tannin's head so you probably didn't hear this, but I declared war on Sona."

So even Rias made her move with her rival. Everyone's beginning to get fired up about the Rating Game so we better make this a good match. If I had to guess, I'd say our teams are about the same level. Kaichou has the advantage of numbers, but we have the advantage of strength. At this point, it all comes down to strategy to win. Each of our leaders have to make the proper decisions in order to use our strengths to our full potential.

"Well then, we'd better make sure we don't lose. I made a challenge with Saji as well, after all."

"That's right. So for the sake of each of our dreams, we have to make sure we all do our best in the Rating Game," Rias said with fierce determination.

The rest of the limousine ride was spent in quiet thought. I've picked up some new skills and regained some old ones so those will have to be my trumps for this match. For now, though. I'll have to enjoy this party to the fullest.

Once we arrived at an expensive looking resort hotel, we checked in and boarded an elevator headed for the top floor. On the way, Rias began lecturing me on how I should act properly during while mingling. I mean, this isn't exactly my first time to attend something like this so I know what I'm doing. But, I listened to her words obediently regardless.

There was a ding signaling we reach our destination when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

All over the massive room there were well-dressed Devils dining and wining.

Almost as soon as we stepped out of the elevator, Rias' admirers began to crowd around her.

"It's Miss Rias!"

"You look as beautiful as always, milady."

"Absolutely stunning, if I had to say."

With a sweeping low bow, I stepped in between her and the group of approaching males before they could get any closer.

"Hello gentlemen," I greeted with one of Yumi's brilliant smiles I picked up. "Excuse me for my rudeness, but Mistress Rias has instructed me to not allow any of her… admirers to get too close to her. She has a very busy schedule tonight and would like if there were as few interruptions as possible."

Of course, it was a something I just made up on the spot. It's not like we were actually so busy that we couldn't take the time to enjoy at least a little bit of the party.

With looks of disappointment, the male Devils broke away and returned to doing whatever they were doing before as Rias shot me a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Saya. This party was already going to be stuffy enough without them."

"I'm just doing my part as a loyal vassal. What say we hurry and get the introductions out of the way quickly?"

The sooner we finish that, the sooner we can have some free time to ourselves.

And so we began circling around the room calling out to and introducing ourselves to all the Devils of importance. Most were simply aristocrats related to the Gremory family through some kind of old friendship or were distant relatives. Unfortunately, it still took quite a long time due to the sheer number of people around us. My lies had bought us some leeway to being called out to, but that still didn't stop the occasional Devil to ignore it and pester us.

When we were finally finished, I took Asia and Gasper off to a relatively quiet corner of the room to rest. Considering this was their first time in a situation like this, it makes sense. At least Gasper was able to stay strong and not have a nervous breakdown in front of everyone. He may have been clinging onto me the entire time, but he did make the effort to introduce himself.

Turns out, there were quite a few people here that recognized me from my duel with Phenex. Some were friendly, others… not so much.

"Everyone, I brought food and drinks," Xenovia said, appearing from a throng of people balancing sets of plates on her arms with glasses filled with some kind of juice in each hand.

"Thank you, Xenovia."

I picked up my own set to help lighten Xenovia's load as Asia and Gasper went to get their share.

"Sorry for having you do this, Xenovia," Asia said before taking a sip of the juice.

"It's no problem. It's the least I can do to be helpful."

Right after I began eating, a frilly dress suddenly appeared in my cone of vision.

"Miss Saya… It's been a while," the girl in the dress greeted me.

Huh. Blonde twin-drills and a permanent haughty look…

"Ah! Ravel Phenex, right?"

A look of surprise crossed the girl's face when I said her name.

"You remember me?"

Maybe I should have a bit of fun with her. She seems like an easy target for teasing.

"Of course. How could I forget the face of someone so cute?"

"Wh-wh-what are you saying?!"

At her sudden outburst, the Devils around us turned to face Ravel with questioning looks. Seeing all the attention being placed on her, she quickly coughed into her hand and glared at me.

"I just came here to say thank you for teaching my brother a lesson. He was getting overconfident in his abilities and let his guard down. His loss to you ended up teaching him a valuable lesson."

Jeez. That's some tough love.

"That's good to hear that he's taking a moment to dial back. Anyways, what about you?"

"Huh?" Ravel blinked and tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"I want to know a little bit more about you."

Once again, the girl was caught off guard by my statement. She really is kind of easy to mess with... I'm getting worried about how naïve she is.

"Um… Well…" Obviously not used to a friendly conversation, Ravel began talking. "After you beat my brother, I decided to be traded into my mother's Peerage. However, since she doesn't participate in Rating Games, I'm essentially a free Bishop."

Trading? As in like sports? I didn't think there'd be a mechanic like that in Devil society.

"A-Anyways, Miss Saya-"

Before she could go any further, I cut her off.

"You can drop the Miss. I'm not much a stickler for formality."

"Eh? Is it really okay for me to do that?"

There was a hint of joy and apprehensiveness in her voice when she said that. Guess she really isn't used to interacting with people like this.

"Sure. I think we're close enough to be friends

"F-Friends…" Ravel's face was tinged red when she whispered that.

"Mistress Ravel, so this is where you were. Mistress Danna was asking for you," the woman with the half-mask that participated in the Rating Game said while approaching us.

If I remember correctly, her name is Isabella and she's a Rook.

"Oh, forgive me, Saya. It seems I am needed elsewhere."

With Isabella's sudden appearance, Ravel's demeanor immediately returned to being extremely formal. She curtsied, but before turning around to leave, she looked at me shyly.

"I-if you don't mind… W-would you like to join me for some tea and cake the next time we meet?"

"Of course. I'm looking forward to it," I replied to her request with a pleasant smile.

When Ravel had left, Isabella turned to me and nodded. "Miss Saya, right? You put up a wonderful fight during the Rating Game and the duel between you and my Master was simply spectacular."

"O-Oh, ehehe… well I'm not really that great…" I sheepishly scratched my cheek under the Rook's praises.

"It's true. All of us in the Peerage acknowledged your strength and it seems Mistress Ravel has taken a liking to you. Now, if you will excuse me."

Isabella bowed and disappeared into the crowd after those last words.

Well, I certainly didn't expect for Ravel to become interested in me. I guess it really is true that Devil's are attracted to strength.

However, before I could resume enjoying the delicious food, something caught my eye.

There was a small figure making their way through the throngs of Devils towards the exit of the room.

Koneko-chan? Is she going out to get some fresh air?

No. She looks like she's following something. Maybe I should follow her just in case.

"Sorry, I have to go to the washroom," I said to the others before getting up from my seat.

I made sure to keep Koneko-chan's small frame within my sights the whole time. I was so absorbed in tailing her that I didn't notice Rias until I bumped into her.

"Saya? What's wrong?"

"O-Oh! Um… W-Well I just…"

My eyes darted to the elevator doors that closed behind Koneko-chan.

Crap! I need to hurry!

"No time to explain!"

Grabbing Rias' hand, I dashed into the adjacent elevator and hammered the main floor button.

Oh, wait. What if she isn't getting off on the main floor? Ugh. No. I'll cross that bridge if it comes down to that.

"Um... Saya? Care to explain what this is about?"

Realizing I was still clinging tightly to Rias' hand, I let go of her and cleared my throat.

Whoops. I kind of just panicked so I didn't really think this through. Oh well, what's done is done.

"I saw Koneko-chan get into an elevator. She looked like she was following something so I decided to come after her," I explained.

"I see… She has been acting rather strangely recently. It was a good thing you decided to go after her, Saya," Rias praised me with a smile.

"Right."

The elevator dinged, signaling us that we reached our destination. We hurriedly made our way out and began asking the Devils milling around the lobby if they saw a short, white-haired female Devil. Once we had confirmed that Koneko-chan did pass by here, Rias sent out her bat familiar to search the surrounding areas. In the meantime, she had a worried expression on her face.

"Hey, do you have any idea what's going on with Koneko-chan?"

Before Rias could answer me, her familiar returned and flew up to her ear.

"Mhm. I see… The forest? Alright."

The tiny bat disappeared in a puff of smoke after delivering its message.

I have a bad feeling about this. Something bad could happen to Koneko-chan.

Without another word, the two of us took off into the forest surrounding the resort with Rias in the lead.

We pelted through the foliage together without another care for our carefully done hair and clothes. All that matters right now is that Koneko-chan is safe.

After running for some time, we finally found Koneko-chan standing in the middle of a clearing. The two of us ducked down nearby behind some bushes and watched her. She seems to be looking for something or someone.

All of a sudden, her gaze locked on something on the other side of the clearing.

"Well, well, Shirone. You've grown since I last saw you, nya."

A woman dressed in a black kimono and a set of black cat ears sitting on top of her head stepped forward to meet Koneko-chan.

"Onee-sama…"

Onee-sama? That's… her older sister?

"What's wrong, Shirone, nya? Won't you come over here and give onee-chan a hug, nya?"

Instead of running towards her in a clichéd manner, Koneko-chan just stayed glued to her spot, body quaking.

The Stray Devil that killed her master and went mad with power. Is this Nekomata really the same Devil?

"Kuroka-onee-sama… Why did you call me here..?"

It's clear Koneko-chan doesn't like her elder sister very much.

"Awww… I just wanted to see my adorable little sister again after so much time apart, nya~."

These two sisters are like polar opposites…

"Hmhm? One of Gremory's underlings is here?"

From out of the shadows, a familiar monkey-faced man came out. He came and interrupted my fight with Valerie back then. What was his name again? Bikou? So that means, that Kuroka must be a part of the Khaos Brigade as well. Is something going to happen at the party?

"Anyways, it's not very nice to eavesdrop, don't you think?" The man's gaze suddenly shifted to Rias and me.

Shoot! He knew we were here?

"Erasing your presence has no effect on people who know Senjutsu like us."

Damn… If a fight breaks out here, do we stand a chance? And Senjutsu? That does explain how he could sense us. Even though I can entirely mask my presence, I didn't think there would be people here that could sense ki.

Rias and I stepped out from our hiding place and came forward.

"Senpai, and Buchou? Why?" Koneko-chan asked in surprise.

"Why is the Khaos Brigade here?" I questioned, weary of any sudden movements.

"Don't worry," Bikou said with a dismissive wave. "We're off the clock right now so we won't be causing any trouble."

"Then why are you here?"

"Well, Kuroka wanted to see this party that was happening so I tagged along."

Is that really it? I don't feel any hostility right now so…

"Hey,hey, Bikou, who's this kid, nya?" Kuroka suddenly asked, pointing to me.

"This little girl holds the power of the Boosted Gear inside her."

Ah… Having them refer to me as a child is kind of annoying…

"Ohoh~? So she's the Red Dragon Emperor that gave Valerie a run for her money, nya? She's a cutie."

Kuroka stared at me with interest.

"Hey, Kuroka, let's head back. It's boring not being able to go to the party anyway," Bikou complained.

"Right, right! Come on, Shirone, come with onee-chan, nya."

Instead of agreeing with Kuroka, Koneko-chan instead took a step backwards.

"Hm? What's wrong, Shirone?"

Kuroka beckoned for Koneko-chan with outstretched arms.

Alright, enough was enough. Clearly Koneko-chan doesn't want to go with them. I stepped in between the two and spread my arms out protectively.

"You won't be taking her anywhere."

"Woah, woah, slow down there, girly. You know you don't stand a chance against the two of us so do you really think it's a good idea to do that?"

Despite Bikou's warning, I stood my ground.

"Koneko-chan's an important member of our family! Rias has done so much more for her than you have, Kuroka, so why would you want to take her back now?"

I need to find out. I need to find out why she abandoned Koneko-chan.

"How cruel, nya. I'm her older sister. It's only natural I do everything I do with her best interests in mind, nya."

That's not good enough. I have to press harder.

"And that's why you killed you master and abandoned her to the Devils seeking retribution?"

At that moment, a regretful look flashed across Kuroka's face before it changed back to her default, cheery expression. It was so fast that I could barely see the change. In fact, if I hadn't been watching for it, I probably would've missed it.

That's a sign. A sign she isn't as much as a monster that the stories make her out to be.

But still… I won't let her take Koneko-chan away.

"Well, well, aren't you an annoying one, nya? Since you're so adamant about this, I'll just have to take care of you first, nya!"

All of a sudden, I felt a sudden dizziness wash over me, as if I was being transported over a large distant in an instant.

Except, we didn't move at all. Instead I felt the tell-tale signs of a barrier around us.

A closed space… To think that she was this powerful…

"Senjutsu, Youjutsu, devil magic, and spacial control? You have quite a skill set, don't you Kuroka?" Rias said with frown as she prepared herself.

"Yep, yep~. With this, no matter how crazy we get, nobody outside will notice, nya."

Not good. We definitely don't stand a chance against these two. We have to find a way to get out of this!

Above us, the flapping of massive wings could be heard descending towards us.

"Kuhahaha! So this is what I find after following you two. Interesting, how very interesting."

"Tannin!"

The massive dragon waved a claw at me. Good. This is good. With Tannin on our side, even those two would have some trouble.

"Uki! The former Dragon King, the Blaze Meteor Dragon, Tannin huh? How exciting! Looks like this won't just be a one-sided massacre anymore!"

"Indeed, nya. Killing these two and a former Dragon King would improve our standing with Ophis quite a bit, wouldn't you say, nya?"

I guess Tannin's appearance just served to fire them up even more…

"Kintoun!" At Bikou's shout, a golden cloud appeared under him before he shot off towards Tannin.

"Hmph! Very well! I shall see if you are worthy the title of Monkey King, young one!"

As the two began their battle in the air, I turned to face Kuroka who stood casually in front of us. Even though she wasn't moving, I could feel her ki building.

It was dark. So dark. So much killing intent.

"Stop! Please, Nee-sama, just let them go! I'll come with you so just… please…" Koneko-chan's voice died out at the end of her plea.

"Koneko, what are you saying? You are my Rook! I will not permit you to leave us!"

"But… She's too strong, Buchou. I of all people know that the best…"

Koneko-chan…

"Rias, get ready to back me up. For Koneko-chan's sake, I'll show her that her real family is here, with us."

Taking a stance, I pulled out a standard longsword and faced Kuroka.

"Oh stop all that family nonsense. I only want Shirone for the power she holds inside of her. Nothing more," Kuroka stated indifferently.

Liar. I can see it.

Rias hugged Koneko-chan as she began to cry.

My Master glared daggers at Kuroka. "First, you let your power control you and killed your master, abandoning your little sister in the process, and now that you've finally got to see her again, this is what you do? I won't permit it! You abandoned her and subjected her to hell! That's why I will protect her from you who traumatized her!"

"Buchou…" Koneko-chan began to openly sob into Rias' chest. "I… I… I don't want to go… I want to stay here with everyone having fun! I… am not Shirone! I am Toujou Koneko!"

Nicely said, Koneko-chan! Find the strength within you to face adversity and break down that wall!

"I see…" Hearing that, Kuroka's smile turned into a cold glare. "Then die."

All around her, a purple mist began spreading.

Is this… poison?!

Shit! I already breathed it in!

"Ugh!"

"A-Ah..!"

When I looked behind me at the sound of the weak cries, I found Rias and Koneko-chan lying on the ground.

What? Why did-?

"I see. So the poison doesn't work on a dragon. In that case, it looks like I might be able to have some fun, nya~."

Looks like Rias and Koneko-chan are incapacitated. Dammit, I have to beat her fast or else the poison could kill them.

The Nekomata was still standing where she was originally. If it's this distance then I should be able to make it.

I used Shundo to bring myself just in front of Kuroka before slashing at her.

But… My sword just passed straight through her body with no resistance.

An illusion?!

"Oh? Shundo is it? Where did you learn that from, nya?"

I found myself surrounded by multiple Kurokas. I should've known she can clone herself like this.

Damn… And why aren't I getting any boosts? I summoned the Boosted Gear a while ago but I didn't feel anything at all.

 **[Sorry partner, but Boosting isn't possible right now.]**

" _What? Why?!"_

 **[Your training caused you to reach a crossroads of sorts. At this point, the Boosted Gear is trying to process what kind of power-up you receive. It could be just a new function, or it could be a Balance Breaker. Right now, your actions have to determine what path it follows.]**

"Heh… hehehe… I see. What great timing…"

To think that my training would work against me. Although, with that said, this could be my chance to finally get my Balance Breaker.

"Hm? What's wrong, nya? Can you not use your power? In that case, maybe I should just do this?"

Kuroka took aim at Rias and Koneko-chan before firing off a barrage of magic.

No!

Using Shundo, I placed myself in front of them and deflected the shots away with a combination of slashes and weapons shot out of my Vault.

"Oh, oh? Not bad, not bad. How about this?"

Kuroka increased the number of projectiles being shot at me and in response I increased the rate weapons were being fired out of my Vault. At this rate, I won't be able to keep up. My magic reserves aren't cut out for this kind of duress right now!

"Kh!" I grunted in pain as a couple of bullets got past my defenses and struck me.

Not yet! Even without Boosted Gear, I won't go down this easily!

Our exchange continued as more and more bullets flew towards me. As a result, my defense began to falter as I was continuously pelted by the projectiles.

"Well this is disappointing. Is this really all you can do, nya?"

This sure reminds of when I fought Valerie. The same thing happened back then but now I'm at a huge disadvantage. In this case, I'll just use a trump card right here!

"Shift!"

A shockwave of magic energy blew away Kuroka's attacks and my body changed into its adult form. Another good thing about my form changes is that I instantly get revitalized. It's something akin to an extra life.

"Kuroka. I'm your opponent in this fight, so I would appreciate it if you didn't attack these two," I declared. "Even if I don't have the power of the Welsh Dragon right now, it doesn't matter. I'll still protect the people who are precious to me!"

The Nekomata simply smirked. "The more I find out about you, the more interested I become. I wonder what else you have up your sleeves?

The previous one-sided magic battle became slightly more equal now. My magical powers might not be on par with my opponent's but strategic use of what I do have managed to force her onto the defensive.

Every time she fired a barrage of magic towards me, I absorbed them with a wall of water, and countered with bullets of mine.

"Not bad, but too bad, nya~. It's my win, nya."

What?

Before I could react, I felt a searing pain erupt in my chest. Looking down, I saw a bloodied hand sticking out of my chest.

"H-Huh?"

"You were too focused on that clone that you didn't notice me sneaking up behind you, nya. Looks like you really are a disappointment."

Kuroka forcefully pulled her hand out of me, causing me to collapse to my knees.

"I really was honestly looking forward to what kind of person Valerie became interested in is, nya. But it looks like you're disappointingly weak."

Ah… I screwed up. My desperation without Boosted Gear caused me to slip up.

But…

I won't lose. Not like this. Not when Koneko-chan is counting on me.

"Hahaha…"

"Hm?"

"Heehee…"

"Did you blood loss make you loopy, nya?"

Ignoring Kuroka's teasing, I forced myself onto my feet.

"If you really think that'll be enough to stop me, you're dead wrong."

"Nya? You still have the strength to stand up like that? You're surprisingly sturdy, nya."

"It's not that I'm sturdy. It's because I have something to fight for. Something to protect. Right, Koneko-chan?"

The small Devil gave a small smile, even though she was clearly in pain. "S-Senpai…"

"Don't worry, Koneko-chan. I won't let Kuroka take you. We're family now, and that's what we do. Whenever one of us is in trouble, we protect each other. No matter what. That's what being a family means."

When I looked at Kuroka, I noticed a hint of a small smile cross her face. I see. So that was your motive. Then… I better not disappoint and fulfill my role in this.

I swear. I swear I'll beat you here and now, but I also swear that I won't let you two stay separated like this. One day, when the time is right, you two will be able to act like normal sisters again.

For now, I can feel determination welling up inside of me. I've found another thing I have to protect.

Is this enough?

Ah, I can feel it.

 **[Me too, partner. Looks like you did it.]**

"Let's do this, Ddraig!"

" **[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]"**

An explosion of power blew away our surroundings and the mist as I was once again clad in the Scale Mail. The familiar feeling of power rushed through me. This is it. With this, I can fight against Kuroka properly.

There's also a new power burning inside of me.

I outstretched my arm towards the sky as magic gathered inside of it before firing off a massive laser of energy. There was a sound almost like glass shattering as it pierced through the barrier.

With this, we should be saved.

"Amazing… This is amazing! Such strength!" Kuroka cried excitedly. "In that case, let me show you some of mine!"

The Nekomata held her hands out before different types of energy began building in each of them. When she finished, she brought her hands together and fired a collective ball of energy at me.

The attack collided with me head on, but I sustained absolutely no damage at all. In fact, I didn't even feel any pain. This definitely was a step up from the previous form.

"Wh-what? How?" Kuroka stared at me in shock.

Taking advantage of the opening, I closed the distance between us with an enhanced Shundo and used the momentum to launch a punch at her face.

"Gh!"

Kuroka panicked, but couldn't move to dodge the high-speed attack. Just before I connected, I stopped. The force of the punch created a shockwave that blew the Nekomata off her feet and sent her flying into a tree.

"It's over, Kuroka. Before long, other Devils will be here to investigate the commotion. If you and your friend value your lives, I suggest you leave."

"Indeed. It would be wise of you two to stop this nonsense right now."

That's a voice I didn't recognize.

A handsome young man with glasses dressed in a suit stepped between me and Kuroka. In his hands was a golden sword that emanated an intense holy aura.

Isn't that… Caliburn? Excalibur's sister sword.

"Arthur…" Kuroka's eyes darted towards me before returning to the man. "Fine, fine, I guess if you're the one coming here to tell us this, we have no choice, nya."

"Tch. I wanted to have a go at the girly there, I guess we don't have a choice," Bikou said as he floated down to the ground.

"Welsh Dragon," the man known as Arthur turned to me. "You are an important existence. Make sure you cultivate your power."

With those last words, he cut open a rift in front of him and stepped through with the other two quickly following him in.

"Hah…" I breathed a sigh of relief as exhaustion washed over me.

No longer able to stand, I fell flat on my face as the armor simultaneously disappeared from my body.

The gaping hole in my chest is really taking a toll on me now.

Ah… The world is fading.

At least I know I won't die here.

Help will arrive soon.

I'm… sure of it…

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya 'Hyoudou'

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolfman-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167 cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** C++

 **Endurance:** B

 **Agility:** A+

 **Magic:** C

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki fragments (Killing Stone), Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusable], Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a decisive fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare goods.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' are turned into 'events that can be realized'.

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of all the items (weapons, artifacts, armor, accessories, medicine, etc.) Saya has collected during her journeys. Can hold an unlimited number of items. Since there are so many items in there, the time it takes for her to find the thing she needs may take a long time. The general rule is that if its general (i.e. a sword, a hat, etc.) it takes a second. The more specific it is (i.e. a long sword with pretty engravings made out of gold, tanned leather armor with at least four holsters, etc.) the longer it takes. Unique items (i.e. Galatine, Tyrfing etc.), however, don't take as long, but Saya needs to reach a certain level with her Stats in order to wield it to its maximum potential.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - When Saya dies in a world, her soul is forcibly ejected from her body into the Dimensional Rift where she may then reincarnate herself in the same world or a different one.

 **Mold Reality:** EX (N/A) - The ability to bend everything in reality to her will. The changes made will always have a side effect of the world trying to balance the change. However, if reality is altered too much, the world Saya used it on will collapse and implode. Currently sealed.

 **Awakening:** EX – A pseudo-time stop ability that involves slowing down Saya's own perception of time by speeding up her body's processes. Depending on the duration, the damage done to her body changes.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to Saya's movement speed. Will last indefinitely until she cancels it or attacks something.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump of sorts that will let her clear even a mountain. She is completely vulnerable during and after the jump for several seconds.

 **Adventure's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, and treasure. It has a max range of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles)

 **Berserk:** EX - Increases physical power by 2x but halves defense

 **Bash:** EX - A strong physical attack with any weapon but it also inflicts damage to the user because of the force used

 **Seismic Slash:** EX - A strong physical attack aimed towards the ground with a bladed weapon that creates a shock wave that has a range of 5 meters. Depending on the durability of the weapon, it may break.

 **Iron Wall:** EX - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield, but the user becomes unable to move until it is cancelled.

 **Heroes Ballad:** EX (N/A) - A song that can only be played with by an instrument. It boosts the morale and abilities of all nearby allies.

 **Z***ra Weave:** EX (N/A) - Sheds all clothes/armor but gains incredible speed and power. The user takes 3x the amount of damage if they are attacked from the side, and 5x damage from the back. The ability is permanent.

 **Shadow Clone:** EX - Creates an physical clone that takes up half of the user's strength

 **Flash:** EX - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera

 **Release:** EX - Unlocks the seal keeping Saya's wolfman blood in check. Once used, it can't be undone for the rest of her current life.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** EX – Saya becomes nearly invincible to all forms of damage and gains a massive strength boost. The trade off is that her movements become extremely sluggish.

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX – A barrage of select items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX – An ability to change one's apparent age. This ability can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for an entire day. The change also affects Saya's skills.

 **Shundo:** A – An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilising all elements of magic.

* * *

 **Current Harem:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 9

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 8

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 7

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 9

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 5


	19. A Trip to Hell 3

**AN:** Hey everybody, I'm back! Well I got back from my vacation a week ago but I got sick immediately after. Not only that, but my old laptop I was using overseas finally decided to die on me so I basically had to rewrite this entire chapter over the past few days. But don't worry! DRE is back! Anyways, thank you for all those that gave me support and I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter.

* * *

"Saya, are you sure you'll be fine?"

I turned away from my pre-battle preparations to face Rias who was looking at me with worry. It made sense. I had just barely recovered in time to participate in the Rating Game and now we're just mere moments away from starting.

Giving her a reassuring smile, I nodded. "Don't worry, Rias. Asia's healing patched me up really well. I'm as good as new!"

"Alright, just remember what Azazel said, okay?"

Hm. Even though I said I was fine, it seems Rias is still worried about me. Well, nothing I can do about that. I feel mostly fine save for a few minor aches.

Enough about that, though. I guess I should go over the strategy again one more time. Although I did get a lot stronger during my training with Tannin, I'm still more of a Jack of All Trades than a specialist. The good thing is I have my Balance Breaker now for a trump. Whenever I can, I should transfer my Boosts onto the others while keeping an eye out for Saji. Other than that, I should only use my Balance Breaker as an absolute last resort. Mostly because Rias doesn't want us to win using such a powerful tool. Other than that... No, I think that's mostly it. My role is mainly a support until a major confrontation.

"Okay!" Pumping myself up with shout of confidence, I stood up and joined the others who had already began gathering inside the magic circle.

This was it. This Rating Game will influence our future heavily. Whether we win or not, this will be

"Is everyone ready?" Rias asked as Gasper and Asia joined the rest of us inside the magic circle.

We all gave a simultaneous determined nod.

No turning back. I'll show the world of Devils just how far our hope and determination can take us!

* * *

One blink later, I found that we had been transported to a replica of the department store near our school. Another familiar battleground. This way it seems it'll be a more fair fight.

Hm... Looks like we popped in at the cafeteria.

Just like in our previous Rating Game, Grayfia-san's voice blared over the loud speakers and began explaining the rules to the match.

If I remember correctly, the department store has a long rectangular shape that is split into two floors. That certainly changes a lot. Our previous battles all took out in the open but now we're forced to fight in this enclosed space. That also means we can use this to our advantage. It also seems that Kaichou's team is based on the first floor while we're on the second floor which gives us another advantage to work with.

Then, just when I thought the explanation was over, Grayfia-san added something unexpected into the mix.

 _"Additionally, we have provided both teams with a folder of important documents along with a single phial of Phoenix Tears. Both teams will have thirty minutes to strategise before the battle begins. Without further ado, please begin your strategy meetings."_

When I turned my attention back to Rias, I saw that she had already opened up the folder that Grayfia-san mentioned and was scanning a chess board version of the map for the department store.

"This is a problem..." Rias muttered while furrowing her brows. "It seems we're not allowed to destroy the building which means Akeno, Saya, and I can't use any powerful attacks."

"That also poses a problem for me," Xenovia added. "I've developed a number of powerful skills designed to destroy a wide area."

Moving to Rias' side, I began to also look through the rules. I stopped and sighed when another troublesome handicap caught my eyes.

"Gasper is forbidden to use his Sacred Gear and can't take blood from me, huh? There sure are a lot of things preventing us to go all out," I commented. "But that's fine, right Rias?"

My Master turned to me with a confused look. "Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean, if it wasn't interesting and challenging like this, it wouldn't be able to test your skills as a leader and strategist. In the future, you'll have to change and adapt to the situation at hand and work with limited resources, right?"

At first Rias simply blinked at me in surprise before she broke into a determined smile. "Of course! I won't let little things like this affect the outcome."

"Arara, it seems you two have quite a good mood going, mind if I join in?" Akeno-senpai said as she suddenly appeared and hugged me from behind.

Although Rias glared at her, she did her best to ignore it and began devising a strategy.

"The atrium will be a problem for us. Whoever controls it will be able to monitor for any movement on both the first and second floors. It's also a likely place for an ambush," Rias said while pointing out and circling possible attack routes on the map.

Now serious, Akeno-senpai added, "The parking lot will be another method of attack. Considering how the merchandise and the stores have all been faithfully recreated, I believe that there will be cars there for us to use as cover to move. We also can't rule out the possibility that Sona's team will attack from their either."

At this, Yumi raised her hand. "If that's the case, I can go check right now."

"Yes, I'm counting on you then."

With that, Yumi disappeared from sight in an instant. Has she gotten faster? Seriously?

"Gasper. I need you to work with our familiars to scout out the department store in case there are any unexpected changes," Rias ordered.

"R-Right!"

The Dhampire then changed into his bat swarm form before flying away. It's nice to see him working so hard now.

"Hm... Alright. Everyone remaining here, please feel free to rest for a while. I will call you all back when I have a proper strategy formed," Rias said to everyone.

Damn. It looks like my plan got ruined by those rules. I was planning to Shundo across this floor until I was above the enemy's base and then blasting a hole through the floor so I could promote instantly.

As Rias continued to pour over the map, I decided to wander around our base area for a little while.

My "newest" skill, Shundo... Even though I am fairly proficient at it, there are still quite a number of limitations to it. For one, there's a distance limit. Then, every time I come out of it there's a short buffer where I have to stabilize myself. Another is that I can only move in straight lines with it. It's a technique that's full of holes to observant people and a counter can easily be found as a result.

I sighed.

I kinda wish I took the chance to remember some combat skills rather a skill used to move. Well, I did develop my magic skills a bit so there's that, I guess.

"Ara, that was quite the heavy sigh, Saya."

Turning around, I saw Akeno-senpai approaching me with a bottle of water.

"Is everything okay?" She asked as she handed me the bottle.

"Ah, no, no, no. Nothing like that. I was just thinking."

At this Akeno-senpai just gave me another one of her smiles. But... This time, I felt that something was off about it, like she was forcing it.

"Saya..."

That was all she said before she suddenly hugged me.

"Wh-Wha-? A-Akeno-senpai?!"

"Please... Just let me stay like this a little longer..."

There was a sort of desperation layered under her usual sweet voice. Is she... scared?

I see... It must be because she'll be forced to use her Fallen Angel blood in this fight, isn't it? Being enclosed in the department store, she can't use her lightning spells effectively without having to break open the roof.

Without another word, I hugged her back causing her to squeeze tighter.

Ugh... What is with this complicated feeling? I mean... I like Rias but... I like Akeno-senpai as well? I've had many different relationships in the past, but this is my first time feeling this strong a love for two different people at the same time.

This... this doesn't count as infidelity does it..? Well Devils are polygamous so it should be fine...

Right?

It was a while before Akeno-senpai pulled away from me, but even though we weren't hugging anymore, Akeno-senpai still stood close to me while holding my hands.

"Thank you, Saya. You truly are a wonderful person," she complimented.

"Er, no... I wouldn't really say that..."

"It's a shame that you're already taken by Rias."

"Eh?"

"If you weren't then we could do things like... this."

She breathed that last word out as she began bringing her face closer to mine.

Eh? Eh? Is she seriously going to do this? Now isn't really the best time for this!

I felt Akeno-senpai's lips press against mine as she backed me into a wall.

So soft...

Her sweet fragrance filled my nose as she continued to desperately kiss me. There was none of her usual teasing in this. Instead, I could feel her love and passion radiating from her. It was a pure, and chaste kiss that properly conveyed her feelings towards me.

Ah..! Whatever! I don't care anymore! There's no way I can't respond to her feelings if its like this!

I began to return Akeno-senpai's kiss which caused her eyes to shoot open in shock. Our eyes locked for a brief second before a look of unparalleled happiness crossed her eyes and she closed them again. I followed suit soon after and concentrated on the feeling of her lips.

During the time we were interlocked, I had lost track of my sense of time. All I wanted to do was savor the moment. It was as if it was only the two of us left in the entire world.

We finally separated after some time. I accidentally let out a small, involuntary whine when I felt Akeno-senpai's lips come away from mine.

"Saya, I didn't know you were such a deviant," Akeno-senpai said with a playful smile.

Guh...

"I-It's not my fault! It's yours for confusing my heart so much so take responsibility!"

"Fufu. Of course. I intend to take full responsibility."

Jeez... I really don't understand why I'm feeling like this... It really doesn't help that I'm leaning a bit on the "M" side...

"Akeno-senpai, Saya-senpai, it's almost time to head back."

"Eep!"

I jumped and quickly scrambled away from Akeno-senpai as I suddenly heard Koneko-chan's announcement.

Oh dear... She's glaring at me.

"U-Um, Koneko-chan, this is, um... you know... that! Yeah! I was just... um..."

As I stuttered to try to find an excuse for what just occurred between Akeno-senpai and I, Koneko-chan suddenly grabbed and hugged my arm.

"No fair..."

Eh? Th-This is... Eh?

I wasn't used to Koneko-chan to showing this side of her. I mean, she's mostly been passive whenever Rias, Asia, or Akeno-senpai would show me affection. She's never directly competed like this before.

As Koneko-chan continued to hold my arm silently, I felt Akeno-senpai brush past me.

"Saya-chan, Koneko-chan, I'm going on ahead so take your time," she said with a wink. "Oh, and Saya-chan? Make sure you watch me in the battle. II'll be sure to show you something wonderful!"

With that, I was now alone with Koneko-chan who was still silent.

"Senpai... are you... scared of me..?" Koneko-chan finally said in a tiny whisper.

Scared? Is she talking about her being a Nekomata? Well, I know that Kuroka isn't exactly as insane as everyone makes her out to be so there really should be no reason anybody should be scared. Especially me.

"Of course not. You're my precious kouhai after all. There'd be no way I'd be afraid of you, Koneko-chan."

And that's the truth. She wasn't just a comrade to me anymore. Like everyone else in the Occult Research Club, they're all like family to me now.

"Senpai..." The little Nekomata turned her eyes up towards me and spoke with determination. "I'll understand now. What this feeling is... For you, Senpai, I'll use my powers!"

Smiling, I pet the small girl's head, making sure to rub behind her prominent cat ears. "And don't worry about losing control of yourself or anything. Because, even if you do for whatever reason, we'll all do our best to bring you back to us."

"Yes. Thank you, Senpai. I'll be sure not to disappoint you."

"Now, let's head back. Rias won't be happy if we're late."

With Koneko-chan still clinging to me, we made our way back to our meeting place. Just five minutes left until we begin our match.

* * *

"To go over the plan once again, Koneko and Saya, you two will advance through the building via this route here. Yumi and Xenovia will go under through the parking lot. Gasper, you will be in charge of scouting out areas and keeping an eye out for any strange movements. Meanwhile, Akeno, Asia, and I will remain on standby until the agreed time. Are there any more questions?"

It was a pretty straightforward plan and Rias managed to explain it quite well to us so nobody raised any objections. Out of all of us here, Rias knew Kaichou the best so she devised a strategy that would counter a strategy that Kaichou would come up with. Essentially, she believed that Kaichou would predict that I would be sent to the enemy's base to promote immediately since I could be the strongest piece if given time. To counteract this, Rias instead ordered for me to act as a diversion by moving as Kaichou predicted while Yumi and Xenovia would attack their base.

 _"The preparation time is up. The time limit for this Rating Game will be three hours. Now, let us begin."_

That's the announcement. Looks like it's finally time.

"Very well! You all know the plan so I expect great things from you! Let us win this match! Now, go!"

At Rias' order we broke off into our teams and began moving.

Yumi and Xenovia immediately disappeared down the stairs leading to the parking lot while Koneko-chan and I began running through the department store.

From time to time, I would use Shundo to advance forward and scout out the area from a hiding place before returning to Koneko-chan.

Hm. How fitting that the two beasts would be sent together. Although, a wolf and a cat is hardly a common coupling.

"Two people are moving towards us from 12."

Huh? How did she manage to sense them before I could?

Seeing the confused look on my face, Koneko-chan began to explain, "With my Senjutsu, I can sense the flow of ki in the world around me."

How convenient. So Koneko-chan has amazing sensory abilities now.

"Alright, how long until we make contact?"

"Most likely around then minutes."

Ten minutes... that's more than enough time to set up a proper ambush. Maybe we should-

"Wait!"

At Koneko-chan's shout, I skid to a halt and began frantically scanning our surroundings.

What? Did we walk right into a trap?!

"Above!"

From above?

I followed Koneko-chan's gaze and saw a rope hanging down from the ceiling, and the person climbing that rope is...

Shit!

I immediately crossed my arms in front of me to block a flying knee that Saji launched after he leapt off of the rope.

"Yep. Just like Kaichou predicted, here you are," he said with a grin. "You ready for this, Saya-chan?"

Well it's all gone according to the plan so far. Hopefully Yumi and Xenovia haven't run into any trouble.

A girl that I always saw hanging around Saji climbed off of his back after he landed and recovered. I see. So that's why my arms still feel kind of numb.

Wait... this is...

A familiar blue cord was wrapped around Boosted Gear that led to Saji while another line was leading from him to somewhere behind him. Most likely their base, I'd assume. I see. Since his Sacred Gear can drain power, he probably developed it according to Azazel-sensei's suggestion and made it so that he can transfer that power. In that case it would be a pretty bad idea to Boost.

"Heh. Surprised? I spent a lot of time training to upgrade my Sacred Gear!" Saji declared proudly.

"Well, Saji. You certainly have gotten stronger. Even though we're opponents, I can't help but feel proud of you as your former teacher," I said. "Of course. That doesn't mean I'll just let you win! I've spent a lot of time training as well."

That's right. I don't plan to lose this battle. For everyone's sake.

 _"One of Rias Gremory's Bishops have been captured."_

No way. Already?!

"Looks like Gasper-kun has been taken care of," Saji commented after the announcement. "Kaichou knew he would be sent to conduct surveillance so we set up a trap for him at our base."

"A trap?"

"Of course. All we had to do was set up a bunch of garlic inside the grocery store and lure him inside of it with some suspicious movements. After that, he would be completely disabled from one of his greatest weaknesses!"

Garlic. I had to fight the urge to facepalm. It certainly was resourceful of them to use their location to their advantage but... To think Gasper would be defeated in an instant by something like garlic...

Well, nothing to do about it now. I have to figure out how to get this line off of me.

 **[Partner, activating Balance Breaker should be enough to blow it away. It was annoying that things turned out this way, but we'll be fighting at a disadvantage if we're attached to that guy like this.]**

So I have to use it right from the start. That certainly is annoying.

"Welsh Dragon Ov-"

"I won't let you!"

As I was calling out the activation for the scale mail, I was suddenly pulled towards Saji as the line attached to me began to reel in towards him.

He can use it like that too?!

I struggled to pull away from him but it was no use. It was reeling to fast and I couldn't get a good grip on the floor at all. At this rate, I'll be pulled straight into him.

Suddenly, I stopped being pulled as I felt a pair of small arms wrap around me.

"Koneko-chan? Thanks I-"

"Senpai, please, forgive me."

Huh? Forgive you? What do you mean please forgive you? What are you planning to do?!

Before I knew what was going on, I found myself flying through to air straight towards Saji at about triple the speed he was pulling me in at.

Really?! She just threw me!

Well, I guess I'll just go with the flow.

Saji was seemingly caught off guard by my sudden approach so I took the opportunity to return the favor from earlier.

With my momentum behind me, I smashed into Saji's chest with a knee.

But...

"What the-?!"

"Heh. That wasn't a bad move, but it wasn't enough!"

How? How was he still standing after an attack like that?

"Now, how about this!"

A point blank magic shot?!

Damn! I can't get away!

Searing pain invaded my senses as the shot collided directly into my stomach, but at the same time, I caught sight of something extremely disturbing.

There was a line connecting from Saji's chest into his Sacred Gear.

Is that why that attack was so powerful?

This... idiot!

"Y-You..." Fighting through the pain, I managed to steady myself and not fall to the floor in a heap. "How could you use your own life as fuel for your power?!"

At this, Saji smiled. "Out of all people, you should understand me the most. Just like you, I want to give it my all to help Kaichou. That's why, even if it costs me my life, I'll show the entire world of Devils what it means to be a part of her Peerage! All of us here are willing to give our lives to see her dreams come to life! We'll show through this battle just how serious we are about our dream!"

Saji, you're right. I do understand, but... just giving your life to protect someone's dream isn't enough. You need the strength of will to survive and live for that person's dream. That's why, as my final act as your teacher, I'll teach you that final lesson.

Beside us Koneko-chan who had began fighting with Saji's partner after she threw me, had delivered the finishing blow.

"That attack was laced with ki. With this, I've done damage to your internal organs. You can't fight anymore."

Haha... What a deadly little girl. Not only does she have monstrous strength, but she also has something akin to a one-hit kill.

 _"One of Sona Sitri's Pawns have been captured."_

When Koneko-chan began moving towards me to help me, I shook my head and signaled for her to stand back. I needed to do this alone. Except... with both my hands bound like this, it's a bit hard to move.

"Alright, Saji. I feel your determination. So that's why, I'll let you see something interesting. My own resolve to protect those close to me."

It won't be anything too harsh. I just need to get away from these bindings first.

"Shift: Backwards!"

In an instant, my body morphed into my younger self. Good. Just as I thought. My smaller limbs made it so I can squirm out of the bindings.

"W-What? What just happened?!"

"Saji-kun. You aren't exactly wrong when you say you're prepared to die for Kaichou, but there's a better way of doing things. And that is exactly what I'm going to teach you right now."

"Heh... Didn't you say you weren't my teacher anymore? It's time I finally surpassed you, Saya-chan. That's the job of the pupil, isn't it?"

As he said that, he raised his hand and began firing magic bullets at me.

Recently, it seems a lot of my battles have involved me dodging magic being thrown at me. Each time a bullet struck the ground or a wall, it would create a small crater in it. If this keeps up, maybe I can just let him screw up and destroy the building.

Yeah right. He isn't that stupid and that kind of outcome wouldn't sit well with me.

Hm, even though the battle's just started, Saji is already looking exhausted. Meanwhile, due to all the training I had with Tannin I'm barely even winded.

As I continued to dodge attacks, I caught Saji suddenly smirking.

What is he..?

All of a sudden I felt something crash into my side which sent me careening through the air.

"Kahah!"

I was sent fling into a wall causing me to be stunned temporarily.

What in the world just happened?

When I try to pick myself back up, I find that I'm pinned by something.

Dammit! My eyes are out of focus and I'm having trouble breathing.

"Sorry, Saya-chan, but this is my win."

After blinking a few times, my vision finally cleared up and I saw that my hands and legs had been anchored to the ground by Saji's lines. There was a pile of furniture from one of the nearby stores lying strewn across the ground near me as Saji began preparing for a massive attack.

He's pouring all of his feelings, his hopes and convictions, into this attack. Forget about getting eliminated in the game, my entire body would be obliterated!

"Saji, you really have grown. I'm proud of you."

I watched helplessly from my position as Saji hurled the now massive ball of magic towards me. Looks like, at this point, all I can do is give up and resign myself to my fate.

Heh.

Yeah right.

There's no way I'm just going to let myself lose here!

 **"[Welsh Dragon Over Booster/Balance Breaker!]"**

Since Saji's going all out here, I'd better match him and make sure that he doesn't feel disappointed.

The shockwave resulting from the activation of my Balance Breaker blew away all the lines holding me down and managed to negate Saji's attack.

Hm, looks like my age also changes the appearance of the scale mail. Instead of full-body armor, I'm no clad in lighter armor that exposes my midriff and thighs. It seems like a massive design flaw, but I guess I wasn't really planning to take many attacks in this form anyways.

"Saji," standing up, I pointed a metal claw towards him. "I've seen how serious you are so I've decided to match you full force. Make sure you keep up with my final lesson."

With that said, I flew straight towards him before landing a blow straight to his chest. He didn't even get the chance to react to the hit which caused him to fly backwards. However, he recovered quickly enough and shot his lines into the ground to stop himself.

Not bad, but not good enough.

Continuing my assault, I pursued after him before he could pull himself to the ground and axe kicked him. I then used Shundo to get underneath him as he was falling and launched him back into the air with an uppercut.

 **[Jet: Overboost]**

The wings on my back flared and propelled me towards Saji's body.

Time to test out a new technique I thought up of.

"Hyper Predator Cross!"

With the added speed of my jets, my Shundo almost became an instant teleport.

I then began juggling Saji in between my hits as I sped around through the air.

If there was a combo counter keeping track of my attacks it'd probably be around 200-hits by now.

Except, when I went in for another barrage, I was suddenly met with a fist to my face that sent me spiraling out of control.

It took me a moment to recover from the blow Saji dealt and when I finally did, I found that he had landed back on the ground, albeit in pretty bad shape.

I was honestly surprised. anybody else and they would've been completely out cold.

Landing in front of him I could see clearly that my blows had a good effect on him. His school uniform was torn in various places as welts and bruises covered his body.

"Hah... Hah... Hah... I-Is that... all..? Until I beat you... I can't... Lose..! I have... to beat you! I will defeat you!" He cried in between gasps.

Saji. You...

"Idiot!" I shouted as I slammed him in the face with a fist.

"If you're so eager to die than I really should just kill you right now!"

It kind of felt bad to pound on a defenseless friend like this, but looking at him now reminded me of what I was like before. Yeah... It reminds me of how stupid I could be sometimes.

Tackling Saji to the ground, I straddled him and began pounding his head in.

Even through all the damage he was taking, he was still struggling to attack me. It would've hurt if it wasn't for the fact that the bones in his arms were probably shattered.

"Why don't you think for a second, Saji?" I said as I was hitting him. "What would Kaichou think if you got yourself killed for her dream?!"

"Wh-What are y-?"

I shut him up with a quick punch.

"She would be heartbroken! She would be heartbroken if any of her precious servants died!"

After giving him another good hit, I stopped and slumped backwards.

"Do you understand, Saji? I was like you before. I was always ready to give my life to protect Rias and the others. But then, I realized. If I died, everyone would be sad so I instead resolved myself to live. I promised to myself that I would live for everyone and protect everyone. Our job as servants aren't just to physically protect our masters, but to protect them mentally and emotionally."

I looked into Saji's eyes after giving him that little speech. He was struggling to stay awake, but I could see he understood what I said.

Smiling, I got off of him and offered him my hand.

But instead of feeling Saji grasp my hand, I instead felt a magic bullet strike me square in my chest.

When I glanced down I saw a dent in the armor. Meanwhile, Saji had picked himself up and was preparing to fight again.

"Hahaha... Thanks, Saya-chan. I understand now... I understand how you were able to get so strong so quickly... So that's why... That's... why..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the last of his strength gave out and he collapsed face first into the ground.

 _"One of Sona Sitri's Pawns have been captured."_

I watched as Saji's body disappeared from the field before I noticed that something was wrong.

"This is..."

Even though Saji was no longer here, one of his lines still remained. It was one of the ones he attached to me when he grabbed me. The fact that it led all the way to his base didn't bode well.

I disengaged the visor that had covered my face instead of the full helmet and wiped the sweat from my brow. Looks like I'm still good to go. I took a bit a damage from Saji's attacks, but they weren't anything that should matter in the long run. For now we should focus on moving forward.

"Senpai, are you okay?"

Looking to the side at Koneko-chan's voice, I saw that she had grabbed my arm.

I nodded and grinned. "Don't worry. I'm totally fine to keep going!"

Koneko-chan nodded before proceeding to pick up into her arms in a bridal carry.

"Wh-Wha-? Koneko-chan?! What are you doing?!"

"Save your energy for later."

That was all she said before she began running towards the enemy base.

Despite all my protests, she didn't let me down and just kept carrying me. Eventually I just gave up and resigned myself to my fate. It's funny. Changing perspectives like this isn't so bad once in a while. Usually I'm always the one pampering Koneko-chan but now that she's bigger than me the roles have been reversed.

 _"One of Sona Sitri's Knights and one Rook has been captured."_

Nice! Looks like Yumi and Xenovia are doing well!

 _"One of Rias Gremory's Knights have been captured."_

Or... not. Well, so far we have the lead in terms numbers now. The only problem is the line that is most likely connecting me to Kaichou.

As we were moving Rias' voice crackled into our earpieces. _"Everyone, can you hear me? We've begun our advance on the enemy base as well."_

Not too long after Rias' announcement, we arrived at the center of the store and waiting for us was none other than Kaichou herself. Beside her stood her two Bishops who were keeping up a barrier around them. In addition, the line was connected to one of the Bishops.

"So, Hyoudou-san and Toujou-san are the first ones here," Kaichou commented calmly.

She wasn't phased at all at the sight of me in Balance Breaker form. In fact, it seemed like she expected it. I haven't heard much about Kaichou's abilities but from what I heard she has an amazing tactical mind. Maybe even more so than Rias.

As if planned, we were then joined by Shinra-senpai, or rather, Kaichou's right hand woman who was being chased by Yumi. Then Xenovia was the one who fell.

"What's your plan Sona? To think that the King would be waiting in such a position."

Finally, Rias, Asia, and Akeno-senpai joined us last.

"What about you, Rias? Haven't you come out as well?" Kaichou responded calmly to Rias' question.

"That's because we've moved to the final stage of the game."

The tension between our forces were high, like a battle would break out at any second.

Kaichou definitely predicted all of our movements. She knew Rias would send me out as a distraction while another team would work to assassinate her. That's why she planned for this meeting to happen.

And in addition...

"Haha... This is the power of a strategist..." I mumbled before collapsing to my knees.

"S-Saya?!"

My head was swimming like I had been but onto a carousel at mach 5. It was a feeling I knew all too well.

As my conciousness began to slowly fade I saw Asia try to heal me out of the corner of my eye. My earlier wounds disappeared, but of course, it didn't help with the problem.

Before Rias could waste the Phoenix Tears on me, I managed to raise one of my hands to stop her.

"No," I said. "It'll be useless."

Kaichou smiled at this. "I see you've figured it out, Hyoudou-san, but it's too late."

One of the Bishops to Kaichou's side took out a clear bag filled with a red liquid. Blood, but not just any blood. It was my blood. That was what the line was connected to.

"Saji managed to not only complete his objective, but also complete his goal during this Rating Game," Kaichou said. "He considered you a fellow Pawn, a friend, a role model, but more than anything, he saw you as a rival. You two are kindred spirits, and yet, you couldn't be any more different than him. For that reason, he was jealous. He was jealous of the power you had and that jealousy is what caused your lose, Hyoudou-san. Just like he said he would, Saji has beaten the legendary Red Dragon Empress."

Hahaha. Well done, Saji. Well done indeed. You pulled one over me this time, but...

"Hehehe..." I began giggling as I climbed unsteadily back onto my feet.

"What? How are you still moving? The amount of blood you lost should just be enough to send you to the medical room!"

Ah, this is no good. No good at all. This is so exciting. So fun. It makes my blood boil. Saji, you really exceeded my expectations.

"Ehehehe... Hahahahaha!"

Soon enough, my giggling had turned into an insane laughter.

This is really no good. I've lost so much blood that I can't think straight anymore.

Sorry, Saji. Sorry, Kaichou. You may think you've beat me with a tactic like this, but you're dead wrong.

Because...

"Something as calculated and scientific like bloodloss has no chance of defeating me!" I shouted before severing the line with Clarent.

A spout of blood rushed out of my arm before Asia rushed to quickly heal it.

"What?! How did you remove the line?!"

Good, Kaichou looks surprised. Well of course she is. I waited for this exact moment to do so. Otherwise, things wouldn't turn out as interesting. I wanted to see what Saji's final gambit was. I wanted to see just what plan he had for defeating me, and I have to say, he didn't disappoint.

"Hey, hey, hey. Since Saji gave me such a heavy hit, I guess I'll show a little something that'll blow your minds. Be thankful, it's special suicide technique that'll really fire things up from here."

That's right. I have something that can easily pierce through that flimsy barrier of theirs. First, I'll have to throw them off with a few bluffs.

"A special technique?"

Kaichou stared at me apprehensively. Just like I thought. She's a good planner if she has the information, but she can't adapt too well to new situations. If I can keep preying on that, hopefully she won't notice the little surprise I set for her beforehand.

"Kaichou," I said. "You assumed that all the abilities I showed of during our Rating Game against Riser were my only techniques, but you were wrong. There are still many, many more that I haven't divulged at all yet."

"You're bluffing."

Let's keep pushing.

"I have to commend you, though. You raised Saji splendidly. However, it's not enough."

Now!

All at once, a multitude of my clones launched themselves from the shadows and piled onto the barrier before proceeding to explode. As dust obscured the figures of our four enemies, I launched myself forward with a Shundo and slashed with Clarent I felt myself connect with one person before I was immediately speared through my exposed stomach by a naginata.

 _"One of Sona Sitri's Bishops have been captured."_

No! Not yet! Spinning around, I slashed out in a circle, hoping to hit something. When I didn't feel my blade connect with anything, I quickly recovered and immediately flew out of the cloud back to my team.

"S-Saya!" I heard Asia cry as she rushed to my side to heal my wounds.

"Saya, are you alright?" Rias asked while wearing a worried expression on her face.

Nodding, I stood up while using Clarent to steady myself. "Like I said, a little blood loss won't take me down. Until I receive a lethal wound, I'm not going to fall."

"Alright," Rias nodded. "But now, you should rest. Akeno, Koneko, Yumi and I can handle the rest."

"If those are your orders, then alright. I leave things to you guys."

Sitting down on the ground, I breathed a tired sigh as Asia proceeded to heal me all over. With this, I think things are as good as won. Whatever Kaichou was planning it had to do with the barrier and now that it's gone her plan should've fallen apart. I still felt woozy from all the blood I lost but at least it wasn't as bad when it first hit me. It was such a gradual thing that it was almost impossible to notice. Good thing I took the time to prepare before the fight or else that plan would've really taken me out.

I watched as the dust cleared and revealed the remaining Bishop and Queen.

Huh? Where's Kaichou? Wasn't she there as well?

"Koneko, can you sense Sona?" Rias asked as she warily eyed the two remaining pieces on Kaichou's side.

Koneko-chan nodded. "It looks like the Kaichou inside the barrier was fake while the real one was hiding on the roof."

So that was her plan. She wanted us to waste our energy attacking the barrier before launching a surprise attack on us when we're weakened. Well, nothing a literal ton of high precision explosives can't solve.

Soon enough, a battle broke out between Yumi and Shinra-senpai who expertly blocked and deflected Yumi's attacks with twirls of her naginata. Meanwhile, Akeno-senpai stepped forward towards the remaining Bishop as electricity crackled around her body.

"Saya-chan, make sure you watch closely, okay? This is my resolution."

With that said Akeno-senpai launched a stream of electricity towards the Bishop who raised her hands in front of her.

"Reverse!"

I'm not sure what that spell was supposed to do, but nothing happened. Before she could dodge out of the way, the Bishop was struck directly and disappeared in a flash of light.

 _"One of Sona Sitri's Bishops have been captured."_

"Ufufufu. That's the power of lightning infused with light.

A shudder ran through my body as Akeno-senpai smiled sadistically. It's scary how much destructive power our team has now. Quite fitting that we're led by Rias who comes from a family with insane destructive power.

I continued to watch by Asia's side as Yumi and Shinra-senpai continued to clash. It looked like Yumi was slowly gaining ground, though. The Queen has a very technical style of fighting. She watches her opponents movements and only attacks if she sees and opening. Yumi on the other hand is relying mainly on her speed and aggression to overwhelm Shinra-senpai. This meant that she left a lot of openings of which Shinra-senpai could capitalize on. As a counter, Yumi created and used swords as makeshift shields to block attacks.

It was a deadly dance of blades that even I would have trouble keeping up with.

The only problem for Yumi that occurred is what I assume is Shinra-senpai's Sacred Gear. She could create a mirror in front of her which literally reflects the damage of attacks back to the attacker. Yumi had already suffered quite a bit for a few reflected attacks.

All of a sudden, Yumi leaped away and put some distance between her and Shinra-senpai.

"Petro, Basileus, Dionysius, Holy Mary, please hear my voice!"

Wait, that's-!

"In the name of the saints residing in this blade, I release thee, Durandal!"

I see. Before Xenovia disappeared she must have given Durandal to Yumi.

Taking advantage of Shinra-senpai's shock, Yumi dashed forward and cut a huge gash across Shinra-senpai's abdomen.

"I see... We were so blinded by our fear for Hyoudou-san that we didn't take into account the rest of your abilities. That was where we failed..." Leaving those final words, Shinra-senpai's body faded into light.

One hit. That was all it took. A single slash from a Holy Sword wielded by a Devil.

Even though it was Durandal there was something different about it. It didn't hold the same destructive power it had when Xenovia wielded it. Instead it felt more controlled. So a true Holy Sword can respond to the user's feelings like this.

In a way, everyone here is a lot stronger than me now. Koneko-chan has begun using her Senjutsu giving her amazing sensory and physical abilities, Akeno-senpai can now imbue her already extremely destructive lightning with light energy, Yumi can create a mix of holy and demonic swords from out of nothing and also wield a Holy Sword, Asia has an unparalleled healing ability, Gasper has a Sacred Gear that can stop time along with his vampire powers, Xenovia has both insane destructive power and speed with a sword along with the technique to give me a run for my money, Rias has her bloodline of of pure destructive magic, and I have a legendary Sacred Gear along with an unlimited arsenal of weapons I can barely even tap into.

It's kinda annoying if I think of it like that. I have so much strength at my disposal but my body is the only thing holding me back. The only last resorts I have all have world changing capabilities so I don't want to use those unless it really is the final straw. I should really pick up my training. At the rate everybody else is growing I'll be left behind.

Now all that's left is to deal with Kaichou. No doubt she's still waiting on the roof.

With Asia and Koneko-chan's help, our team began making our way to the roof for the final confrontation.

* * *

The moment the Rating Game ended and we were transported back to the preparation room, I was immediately rushed to the medical facilities. The amount of blood I lost was a definite hazard to my health that the medical team just couldn't ignore. It really didn't help that they found out what I had done to my body before the fight. I mean, it's not like I'm using any illegal drugs to boost my abilities. It was just a simple metabolic booster along with a special nutrient supplement. It was in case I took a massive hit and bled out since the moment I lose consciousness is the moment I'm eliminated.

Needless to say, I was forced to stay and recuperate in the hospital room until they said I could leave.

So here I was stewing in my own thoughts while sitting in a hospital bed.

That final battle really wasn't much. Instead of letting us fight Rias decided to take it upon herself to take Kaichou down. It essentially came down to a battle of pure destructive magic power and when it comes to destruction... well... it's kind of hard for Rias to lose.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"Yes, come in!"

Much to my surprise, it was Sirzechs-san that entered the room.

"Good day, Saya. It looks like you're awake," the red-haired man greeted with a warm smile as he took a seat next to my bed.

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. "Yeah, well. I never let a bit of wooziness beat me."

"Hmhm. Well, I just came by to congratulate on your wonderful victory against Sona Sitri's team."

As he said that, he took out a small box from behind his back and handed it to me.

"It's not much, but I hope you'll accept this present."

Opening the box, I saw that it was a small, silver ring.

"My, my, Sirzechs-san. Are you proposing to me? How could you when you already have Grayfia-san?"

Instead of taking the bait like I had hoped, the man instead just smiled and patted my head. "Maybe you can give it to Rias when the time is right."

"Ahaha... Um... About that..."

"Hm? What is it?"

Should I ask him? I really hope he doesn't take it the wrong way.

"W-Well..." I began. "Devil society widely accepts polygamy, right?"

"Why yes. Many high-ranking Devils have multiple lovers. Why do you ask?"

"Um... Has there been any female Devils with multiple lovers?"

It took a moment for Sirzechs-san to put the pieces together and when he did he just gave me a knowing smile. "There certainly hasn't been anybody like that yet, but maybe someone can change that."

That went better than I expected. I was kind of expecting him to disapprove of that. Good thing he's really nice person.

"Ahem," clearing his throat, Sirzechs-san stood up and rubbed my head one more time before turning towards the door. "Sorry I have to cut our time short, Saya, but I have another patient to visit. I hope you understand."

"Ah, yeah. Sure. Thank you for the gift."

Smiling, the Maou opened the door but before he left he turned back to me and said, "Oh, yes. Please, I told you to refer to me as your elder brother, didn't I? I'd like to hear more of that, even in public."

And with those last words he was gone.

Ahaha... I don't think even I have the guts to call you anything like that in public... At the very least I guess I could do that in private.

Not too long after Nii-san's visit, Rias came to visit me too.

"Hey, Saya. Are you feeling well?" She asked as she entered the room and sat down on the bed.

"Yeah, don't worry. I've gone through worse than this. In fact. Back in my prime, I used to be able to cut through hordes of monsters while not having slept for a month with my body covered in wounds."

"O-Oh... Is that so?"

Whoops. Looks like she didn't really look all too happy with that. Forgot she doesn't like me talking about all the stupid, reckless things I used to always do.

"A-Anyways, we won, huh?"

"Yes, we did. Although we were thrown off by Sona's plans, everyone managed to pull through. It was through everyone's hard work and determination that led us to victory this time."

No kidding. If I didn't take the time preparing early then things would've gone south really fast.

As Rias began stroking my head, I snuggled into her warm body and enjoyed the moment between the two of us.

"Thank goodness Akeno-senpai and Koneko-chan managed to overcome their hurdles. It kind of surprised me how much stronger they became just from using their innate powers."

"They weren't the only ones. You did amazing as well, Saya. You're still being too reckless, though."

Ugh. I thought she'd say that.

The two of us spent some more time chatting with each other until a knock on the door interrupted us.

"Yes, come in!"

When the door opened and my visitor arrived, I was taken aback by who I saw. It was a familiar face that I had bookmarked as a potential threat when I entered this world. The man that came in was undoubtedly very old as indicated by his long white beard and strange wizard/cleric get-up. Then there was the strange monocle covering his left eye.

"Greetings, young ones. I see that you are enjoying yourselves. Forgive me if I interrupted anything," the old man said with a mischievous grin.

Eh? What does he mean.

Then I realized I was still clinging to Rias. However when I tried to squirm away from her hold, she just hugged me closer to her body.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about this kind of contact, but there's a time and place for everything! Now certainly isn't the time to be cuddling!

"Odin. I didn't expect that you would come visit me," I greeted the old man.

"Oh. You know who I am. How refreshing to know that the young'uns haven't all forgotten about me. Ohohoho."

Well... I certainly didn't expect a Norse God to be so... laid back.

"What brings you here?" Rias asked.

"Nothing much. I just wished to pay the victors of the Rating Game my respects, and also..."

Odin's single eye turned to Rias and he began staring at her while muttering something I couldn't quite hear.

I watched as the expression on the old man's face slowly turned lewder and lewder.

Wait. Is he-?!

Before I could voice my protests, I loud smack sounded out as a beautiful woman dressed in gleaming armor smacked the old man over his head with a paper fan.

"Sir! Even if you are a God, I will not allow you to look at this children indecently! Besides we have an important meeting to attend to soon!"

A tsukkomi?! I could feel my eye involuntarily twitch. Why is a European duo performing a Japanese comedy routine?!

Rubbing his head, the old man laughed, "Hohoho! Well it seems this is goodbye for now, you two. Let us meet again in the future!"

And with that the old man left while the woman in armor gave an apologetic bow before following him out of the room.

What exactly was the point of that? And what was that about a meeting?

Something is obviously going to happen soon and I can only hope that it won't be the event that will destroy the world. At this point in time I'm not prepared for that event to trigger yet.

But... If it was I think it is then... my real mission will begin.

* * *

 **Omake: Please Teach Me, Saya-sensei! The Cute Wolf-Girl's Consultation Room!**

 **Saya:** Hello everybody and welcome to the first edition of, "Please Teach Me, Saya-sensei! The Cute Wolf-Girl's Consultation Room!". Ehehehen~. *wink*

 **Saji:** Um... Shishou... Who are you talking to and what's with that name? And why are you acting all cute like that?! It's creepy!

 **Saya:** Eh? But if I give out fanservice like this we'll get more people coming here for consultations. Right?

 **Saji:** I'm not saying you're wrong but that kind of fanservice will only bring strange people here for the wrong reasons...

 **Saya:** Anyways, let's move onto the main segment!

 **Saji:** I was completely ignored?! And we don't even have a client yet!

 **Saya:** Our very first client is none other than... Genshirou Saji-kun! Yaaaay! Pachi, pachi, pachi.

 **Saji:** I was ignored again?! Wait. Eh?! I'm the client?!

 **Saya:** Umu, umu. Very well, I, Hyoudou Saya, shall listen to your troubles!

 **Saji:** E-Eehh? But I don't really have anything I would need to talk about...

 **Saya:** Hmph. You may say that, but my Mystic Eye of Deception Perception can see through you lies.

 **Saji:** Shishou... You're acting really out of character right now...

 **Saya:** Well one of us has to play the part of the boke or else this segment would be totally dry and boring. Do you want to do that?

 **Saji:** Er... No. Huh? Hold on! When did this turn into a comedy routine?! Aren't we supposed to listen to people's troubles and console them?!

 **Saya:** Anyways, moving on. Let's talk about our second favorite Pawn's troubles.

 **Saji:** Stop ignoring me! And like I said, I don't have any troubles!

 **Saya:** Yes. It's true. I, Genshirou Saji, am in love with Sona-senpai. But... but... How can I get her to love me back?! Saya-sensei, please teach me!

 **Saji:** Waaaaiiit! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! What are you trying to say in my own voice?!

 **Saya:** Huh? But it's true, isn't it?

 **Saji:** Geh... I-I guess...

 **Saya:** Anyways, I have just the right remedy to all your love problems!

 **Saji:** Eh? You do?

 **Saya:** Yep, yep. Now, can you guess what that is, Saji-kun?

 **Saji:** You're asking me to guess? Well I can't really say...

 **Saya:** Tsk, tsk, Saji-kun. This is why Kaichou will never notice you at this rate.

 **Saji:** Uu... You don't have to be so blunt about that...

 **Saya:** So let me tell you about the key that will unlock Kaichou's precious, maidenly heart! Are you ready for it, Saji-kun?

 **Saji:** Yes, Shishou!

 **Saya:** Umu! Good, very good! Then keep your ears peeled, Saji-kun. The secret is none other than...

*drumroll*

 **Saya:** A kind heart! Teehee~.

 **Saji:** That's obvious you idioooot!

 **Saya:** Jeez, Saji-kun. You don't have to yell so loudly.

 **Saji:** Shishou...

*whack*

 **Saya:** Owww! Why'd you just hit me with a paper fan?

 **Saji:** If you don't start getting serious about this then I'm seriously going to get angry.

 **Saya:** Uu... You're no fun, Saji-kun...

 **Saji:** Ahem.

 **Saya:** Alright, alright. I'll give you a serious answer now. Make sure you listen well. Kaichou may seem like a cold person at first, but that's just because of her position as Kaichou. In truth, Kaichou has a very sensitive heart. That's where a little thing I call stealth affection comes into play. Instead of hounding her for her love everywhere she goes you should show her little bits of love in private. Start small just with things like making her tea or giving her snacks and work your way up to giving her gifts. It'll net you some extra points if you help relieve some of the stress she built up from her duties.

 **Saji:** Um... Wow. That's actually does seem useful.

 **Saya:** Ahuhuhu~. Did you think I wouldn't have experience in seducing girls?

 **Saji:** Well you normally don't show it. In fact, I'd have to say you're really clumsy at the whole seduction thing.

 **Saya:** Ugh! A critical hit..!

 **Saji:** Not only that but are you even trying to seduce anyone right now?

 **Saya:** I guess... Not really. Things just kind of fall into place.

 **Saji:** Well anyways, I guess I'll take your advice into consideration, Shishou!

 **Saya:** Nuahahaha! That's good, Saji-kun! But remember, no matter what don't try to be somebody you aren't! The only way Kaichou could fall for you is if you're yourself, Saji-kun. After all, you have a golden heart.

 **Saji:** Shishou... Alright! I'll do my best to live up to your expectations!

 **Saya:** And that's all the time we have today for "Please Teach Me, Saya-sensei! The Cute Wolf-Girl's Consultation Room!". We'll see you next time when another client comes in~!

 **Saji:** Eh? Wait! Already?! B-But I only just reached my resolution!

 **Saya:** Buh bye~!

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** C++

 **Endurance:** B

 **Agility:** A+

 **Magic:** C

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusabble], Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** A+ - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that give near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Hero's Ballad:** (N/A)

 **Z***ra Weave:** (N/A)

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

* * *

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 8

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 8

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 9

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 5

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 0


	20. Astaroth's Assault 1

**AN:** Another chapter of DRE where there's high sexual tension, but blue balls all around. By the way, what would be the female equivalent of blue balls? And damn this chapter to hell. The many technical problems I had when writing this chapter caused me to have to rewrite this a ton of times. Well, anyways, enjoy and look forward to the next chapter.

* * *

When I look back on everything that happened this past summer. I noticed something very, very dire. Even though it was summer vacation... Even though it was summer vacation I..!

I spent almost the entire time training by running away from a dragon!

Not once during that duration did I do anything fun! What happened to beaches, swimsuits, and the sun?!

And another thing...

Since I spent all that time training I didn't have any time to do any of the homework we were assigned.

That of course meant that I was scrambling to finish everything right now.

Uu... I want my youth back... I wanted to have fun and fool around!

Hopefully we'll get to experience some summer fun when we get back home.

 **[Hah... Partner... Sometimes I don't know if you're wise beyond belief or if you're just a child.]**

 _"Shut up, Ddraig! I can't help that I have a heart for adventure."_

Well I guess it was fun staying with the Gremory family. During the stay I managed to build some pretty strong bonds with everyone. Millicas especially took a liking to me. He's really such a nice kid. Venelana-san and I also got quite close. So close to the point that she taught me a few family secrets of the castle. Apparently the secrets were extremely closely guarded by the Gremory family that only the most important members knew about them. It was honestly kind of mind blowing with some of the things I saw in there. I even got to take a few souvenirs of my own that might prove helpful in the future.

And so, as we rode the train all the way back to the human realm, I was stuck doing my homework while Koneko-chan sat purring on my lap.

When we finally got off we were greeted by a familiar face, and not one I wanted to see.

"Diodora Astaroth... Why are you here?" I asked.

All my senses were screaming at me that this guy was dangerous.

Ignoring me, he stepped past me and held Asia's hands.

"Greetings, Asia Argento. I've long waited for a chance to see you again," he said.

This guy. What's he doing?

"U-Um... I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"I see. It makes sense that you would not know me. However, this should mean something."

Stepping backwards, he pulled his shirt up and revealed a huge scar running across his torso. When Asia saw that, something immediately clicked in her head.

"That scar... then you're the one from that time."

Diodora nodded. "Yes. I am the Devil you saved back then. If you hadn't healed me with your Sacred Gear I would surely be dead."

After saying that he planted a light kiss on Asia's hand.

"Now, I believe our encounter that time was fate so... Will you marry me?"

...What?

What..?

"EEEEEHHHHH?!"

This... This... This guy! What the hell is he saying all of a sudden?! Hell no! I won't let Asia marry him! I'll kill him for even thinking such a thing! There's no way! Absolutely no way!

That's it! I don't care who this guy is! I'm slamming his face in!

I reared back my fist and began running towards him before I felt someone wrap their arms around me and pull me back.

"Stop, Saya. If you hit him then it'll be bad for all of us," Yumi said.

"Kh!"

Gritting my teeth, I relented.

Graah! This guy really grinds on my nerves.

It was at that point that Rias decided to intervene. She stepped protectively in front of Asia and stared Diodora down.

"I'm sorry but do you mind continuing this another time? We should be heading home," she said as politely as she could.

Unfazed, Diodora continued smiling. "Of course. I did not mean to keep you all here. My apologies."

He then turned to Asia and proceeded to kiss her hand. "Until we meet again, my love."

I swear... the next time I see that guy I'll rip him in two!

* * *

The rest of summer passed without incident and the second term arrived.

Well... that's what I would like to say but we've had an endless stream of expensive gifts being constantly sent to our home. More specifically to Asia. Seriously that Diodora guy just doesn't know when to give up. He should learn to take a hint. Asia clearly has no interest in him. Yep. That's right. No interest at all.

I refuse to be NTR'd by an upstart, flirtatious snake!

Asia... Lately I haven't really been paying too much attention to her. I mean, we do live together and we do spend a lot of time together but I haven't exactly done anything special for her. Alright. I have to step up my game.

As I was lost in my thoughts a special announcement from the teacher caught my attention.

"This might come as a surprise to you all, but we will be having another transfer student joining us."

A transfer? At this time of year?

"Please, come in."

At the teacher's call a familiar face entered the classroom and bowed.

"Hello everyone. My name is Shidou Irina. Let's all get along!"

Well, it looks like we just can't catch a break. Can we? I wonder what's going to happen this time?

The day passed by in a flash as I meditated and pretended to pay attention in class. There really was no point in me being here since I already know everything being taught but I can't just ditch class or else my reputation will be ruined. Truly a terrible dilemma.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to speak to Irina during the lunch break since she was immediately swarmed by our classmates so I instead opted to wait until after classes to drag her to our club room.

This is where my status in this school can come in handy.

Fixing my beret, I stood up from my seat and strode towards Irina who was surrounded by people again.

I cleared my throat to announce my presence to Irina who was happily chatting among the group.

She beamed widely when she saw me before leaping out of her chair and hugging me.

"Saya! It's been so long! I'm so happy to see you again!"

It really hasn't been that long. And why didn't you react like this when you first saw me in around ten years?! Well... I guess she was kind of shocked that I had turned into a Devil at that point.

"Yeah," I nodded and hugged her back. "It's good to see you again too, Irina."

When Irina let me go Asia and Xenovia had both joined me.

"Xenovia!"

And off she goes to hug Xenovia who responded with an awkward hug back. Despite her advances on me it looks like she's still getting the hang of dealing with intimate contact like that.

After Irina finally let Xenovia go I decided to tell her Rias' orders.

"Irina do you mind coming to the club room? Rias wants to see you."

"Of course!"

Irina nodded cheerfully.

The three of us then made our way to the club room where everyone else was already waiting. In addition to our club members, Azazel-sensei and Kaichou were also there.

"As representative of the student body, I would like to welcome you to our school, Shidou Irina-san," Kaichou said.

"Thank you! Even though almost everyone here already knows me I'll introduce myself again. I am Shidou Irina and I've come here as a messenger of Heaven!"

On our way here she explained that she transferred into Kuoh on Michael-sama's orders. She didn't go into details though since she wanted for everyone to hear about it.

"Anyways," Azazel-sensei cut in before Irina could go on a religious speech. "You are aware of the death off the Biblical God, yeah?"

That's right. If she's the one being sent here then she should probably know about something that important.

She nodded. "Yes. I've been informed about Michael-sama."

Well she's sure taking it a lot better than I expected.

"That's surprising," Xenovia commented. "For someone so faithful I thought you would be completely broken after learning something like that."

Ah... You didn't have to say that out loud, Xenovia.

It took a moment before the floodgates did break.

"Uwaaaahhh! Of course I would be broken! How could I not be broken?! I learned that our Lord has been dead for all this time!"

Yep. That's about the reaction I expected.

As Irina continued to cry, Asia and Xenovia gently hugged her while saying words of comfort.

Well it's good to see that she's not alone in that feeling. I'll leave the comforting to them this time around.

After calming down, Irina began explaining her reason for being here. She first started by showing off Heaven's system that was similar to the Devil's Peerage system called Brave Saints. While our system is based off of chess, the Brave Saints are based off of cards. Their assigned cards ranging from "Ace" to "Queen" while the Angel in charge of them is assigned "King". In a way these Brave Saints can be considered reincarnated Angels.

After her explanation Irina grew a pair of white feathery wings on her back and showed us the symbol of an "A" that was on the back of her hand.

"I have the great privilege of being Michael-sama's Ace!" Irina declared with pride.

It certainly looks like she found a new idol to follow. That is the thing about people, though. It's better than going insane. I would be devastated if Irina turned into something like Freed.

And like that, Shidou Irina rejoined us as a comrade. I can already tell that things are just going to get even more chaotic now.

* * *

With the annual Sports Festival coming up it would only make sense that we would have to practice for it and that's exactly what we're doing right now. Our class has changed into our gym wear and were currently practicing for our events during the competition. I had taken the opportunity to partner up with Asia for the three-legged race. I'll take this opportunity to deepen my bond with Asia!

Currently Irina and Xenovia were having a little race on the track while everyone watched. It's good to see that they're actually holding back despite their ferocity.

"Hey, Saya-chan. Working hard out here?"

I turned to see Saji walking past where I was sitting while carrying a box of tools.

"Saji. Just keeping watch over Irina and Xenovia to make sure they don't go overboard. I can see you're working hard for the student council."

Saji sighed at that. "Yeah. I've been running all over the place making preparations for the Sports Festival."

"Well don't overwork yourself if you're injured," I said while pointing to his arm that was wrapped in bandages.

"Ah... About that..."

He unwrapped the bandages to reveal something that looked like a tattoo of a snake.

"That isn't a tattoo. Right?"

Saji shook his head. "No. Apparently this was caused when I used my Sacred Gear to siphon your blood during the Rating Game."

Oh.

"Will you be alright?"

"It's nothing big. In fact I also have this."

He then showed me jewel that had appeared on his arm as well. It's pretty much the same type as the jewels on all the dragon-type Sacred Gears I've seen. But... It was right on his arm instead of being on his gauntlet.

"Anyways, what'll you be doing for the Sports Festival?" Saji asked while changing the subject.

"I'll be doing the three-legged race with Asia. What about you?"

"Damn. You're always so lucky, aren't you? Unlike you I got stuck doing the bread eating race."

"Ahaha... Well I wish you luck on that."

The two of us continued to chat for a while until both Kaichou and Shinra-senpai came and dragged Saji off.

"Saya! Sorry for making you wait!" Asia called as she jogged up to me while holding a couple bottles of water.

"No, don't worry about it. Thanks for doing this, Asia," I said while grabbing one of the bottles and taking a drink. "Alright. How about we start practicing now? Let's make sure to win the race!"

"Yeah! I'll do my best!"

Good, good. Asia seems pumped.

Taking the rope out of the equipment bag I tied our legs together.

"Okay. Are you ready?" I asked while wrapping my arm around Asia's waist.

"Y-Yes!" Asia nodded enthusiastically before doing the same to me.

"Let's move our outside leg on three. One... Two... Three!"

We stepped forward simultaneously and stopped. Alright. So far so good. I have to adjust my stride to match Asia's a little bit since my legs are slightly longer but other than that we should be fine if we take our time. I took a quick glance at Asia's face to see her concentrating really hard. It was honestly really adorable to see. How her lips were slightly pursed, how her eyebrows were scrunched up and how the individual beads of sweat rolled down her cheek.

Wait, no! Now's not the time to be thinking of this. Focus!

"Now, move our inside leg on three. One... Two... Three!"

I waited until Asia began lifting her leg before lifting mine. Since she was physically weaker than me I had to make sure not to overpower her and make her lose balance.

Except... All my carefulness was for naught when Asia slipped and stumbled.

"Hawawa!"

As we began our inevitable fall, I quickly positioned myself in front of Asia so I could catch her. That meant contorting my body until I was at an awkward angle.

"Oof!"

We tumbled to the ground in a tangled heap. Half of my body ended up being pinned underneath Asia while her face landed on my back. Of course that also resulted in me getting a face full of dirt.

"I-I'm so sorry! I really an no good at physical activities..."

As Asia was apologizing, I gently reached around behind me and awkwardly pat her head.

Well... I guess we have to start somewhere. I'm sure we'll get the hang of this eventually. There's still plenty of time until the Sports Festival.

After getting up and fixing ourselves we began practicing with a renewed vigor.

* * *

Asia and I have been constantly practicing for the three-legged race whenever we would have time recently and as a result we've improved quite a bit. The only problem is that Asia's been slightly depressed recently. I can only assume it's because of Rias' announcement the other day. Our next opponent for our next Rating Game is none other than Diodora Astaroth. I don't doubt that he pulled some strings to make it like that. Maybe I should have a talk with her. This is the perfect chance anyways since we were carrying equipment back to the gym storage room.

"Hey, Asia. You know you can tell me what's on your mind. There's no need to hold back."

"Eh? Oh, um... It's just... I don't know how to react to Diodora-san..."

Yep. She is thinking about him. With how kind she can be I'm not surprised.

"Hm... Well, Asia. Do you regret saving him, then?"

"No. Of course not."

"And why is that?"

"It's because I met you, Buchou, and everyone else. I'm happy with how my life turned out. If I didn't save Diodora-san at that time then I wouldn't have met you, Saya."

I smiled and pat her head. "And there's your answer. You don't have to respond to Diodora's feelings at all. What's important is staying true to how you feel."

Asia mewled cutely as I rubbed her head. She really is such an adorable and kind girl.

We quickly finished putting away the rest of the equipment but before we could exit the storage room Xenovia suddenly entered and shut the door behind her.

"Eh? Xenovia? Why did you just do that?"

I'm beginning to get a bad feeling about this...

Don't tell me someone's been teaching Xenovia about strange things. After all, only one thing is supposed to happen in a stereotypical situation like this where we're locked inside the storage room. Well, fortunately, this storage room doesn't have a lock on the inside so if I can just get to the door I can escape before anything happens. But... With Xenovia still in the way that would be a bit tough.

Taking a step towards Asia and I, Xenovia says with a straight face, "During situations like these it is common for high school students to show affection to each other is it not?"

I knew it. Great. This can only end badly.

"E-E-E?! Sh-Show... A-affection?!" Asia squeaked.

"Indeed. A friend of mine in class told me about how she and her boyfriend did this and that in this storage room," Xenovia stated with a straight face.

"Th-th-this and that?!"

Oh great. Now Xenovia's teaching Asia strange things.

But now's my chance. As Xenovia's taking the time to explain to Asia about her plans I took the chance to sidle along the wall towards the exit. Slowly... Slowly... Almost there...

"Now, Asia. Let us begin."

Crap!

I made a mad dash for the door, however just as my hands grazed the handle I felt a pair of hands grab my shirt and pull be backwards into the dark depths of the storage room.

"Do not worry, Saya. I have done the proper research so you may leave everything to me," Xenovia said while giving a thumbs up.

"U-Um... I may be inexperienced b-b-but I'll do my best!" Asia added on.

Before I could react I felt their hands grabbing at me and began tearing my clothes off. Not long after that I was left half-naked and pinned underneath the two girls. This really, really isn't the time and place to get frisky like this! I've got to do something to stop them. Maybe if I call for help then someone will come investigate.

"N-Noooo! Sto-!"

Xenovia's hand quickly clamped over my mouth preventing me from going any further with my screams.

Well, there goes that plan.

"Saya... You really are beautiful..." Asia complimented me as she slowly ran her hand along my stomach.

I shivered and twitched at the feel of her touch. Meanwhile, Xenovia began stripping. After pulling her shirt over her head she quickly unclasps her bra, freeing her shapely breasts from their confines.

It was somewhat hard to see in this dim lighting but her body held a slight muscular definition that I felt my eyes being drawn to. Its contrast with a stereotypical high school girl's body is kind of entrancing.

Next, Asia began taking off her top before hesitating with her bra.

"There's no need to be scared Asia. Let's all do this together."

At Xenovia's urge Asia took a deep breath and unhooked her bra, letting the straps slip off her shoulders.

I gulped. This lust I'm feeling definitely isn't normal. I've seen Asia's naked body almost everyday now but I still can't help but heat up from seeing it.

You know what? Screw this. Screw self-control! Something like this is bound to happen anyways so why not just do it now?

"Alright, Xenovia. Since you're so determined to do this. Why don't I show you how an experienced woman feels?"

Slipping one of my arms around Xenovia's waist, I pulled her body onto mine and quickly went to work teasing her. Xenovia sung out sweetly as I traced my hand along the inside of her thighs as I gently nibbled and sucked on her neck.

"A-Ah! Wait, S-Saya..!"

I ignored Xenovia's protests as I continued to dance my hands across her body. Her skin was smooth and held a certain light, firmness to it that felt addicting to the touch. More, more. I want to hear more of her cute voice.

"Auwawawawa..! S-Saya that's... so... b-b-bold!"

Looking up and locking eyes with Asia, I beckoned her over with a smile. If I'm doing this then I might as well go all the way. And if I do this with Asia then that jerk Diodora won't be able to NTR me anymore. Two birds with one stone and all that.

However just as I brought Asia into my arms along with Xenovia, the door to the storage room slid open and revealed a familiar set of twintails.

Er... This is awkward.

Irina stood by the doorway for a few seconds before she managed to process the scene in front of her.

"Y-You guys... What in the world are you doing?!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs. "S-S-Such an act should only be done in your homes!"

Crap! Quick! Think up an excuse!

"Irina, come on!"

Stupid! Don't beckon her over! Why did I say that?!

"Saya... you... you... you beast!"

Grabbing a nearby volleyball, Irina chucked it at me at full force and struck me directly in my face.

"Funyah!"

My childhood friend quickly dashed away from the storage room leaving Xenovia, Asia and I lying naked in the storage room. Well, that... happened. With the mood ruined and all I'd say it'd be best if we cleaned up and put our clothes back on.

* * *

"And so, Rias, I came here to request a Trade between us."

Seriously? What is with this development? This guy just suddenly barged in during our club time to say this nonsense? Diodora, how far you planning to go to take Asia away from us?

The boy in question was currently sitting on a sofa directly across from Rias. The rest of us servants were all gathered around and behind Rias with Asia clinging tightly to me.

At Diodora's mention of a trade, Asia's grip on my arm tightened even more. Even though he didn't specify who he wanted to trade for it was pretty clear to everyone here.

Remaining calm, Rias took a sip of her tea before staring Diodora directly in the eyes. "I assume you are talking about Asia?"

The man nodded and smiled. "Indeed. I am willing to trade one of my wonderful Bishops for her. In fact, you may choose which one you wish to exchange Asia Argento for."

Just as Diodora began pulling out a pair of pictures from his pocket, Rias spoke up. "My apologies, but unfortunately I have no intentions in trading any one of my precious servants to anyone. They are all important members of my family after all."

Yes. Well said. I couldn't have done it better myself.

Keeping up her momentum, Rias continued to speak. "Asia is like a little sister to me so asking me to trade her for someone else is an unforgivable slight. If you understand, then I will forgive you for trying this time. However, if you ever try to do this again I will not be so lenient."

Her words were firm and commanding but she didn't raise her voice at all. She really knew how to carry herself in these sorts of situations.

But... The fact that Diodora finally came out and tried something like this just goes to show that he's losing patience. We can keep this up forever but he has to stop sometime soon. In fact if things progress as I think they will then we'll have a chance very soon to stop him from creeping on Asia any longer. That's right. If we can just beat him badly enough in the Rating Game then I'm sure he'll stop his advances. I'll have to make it a humiliating defeat so that he won't be able to show his face in public anymore without being mocked.

That's easier said than done, though. We were all reviewing the Rating Games the other young Devils had before Diodora arrived and, well, his Peerage appeared to be the most problematic. Apparently everyone had bet on that Seegvaira girl to win against him and yet Diodora pulled out an overwhelming victory. Everything about that match was off. According to Azazel-sensei, Diodora shouldn't have the power necessary to single-handedly wipe out most of Seegvaira's Peerage. Especially that huge power boost he got midway through the match. It far exceeded what my normal Boosts could do. It was like his power increased tenfold. If we can just figure out the secret to that increase then we might stand a better chance.

As I was brooding over the future, the smile on Diodora's face grew even wider after hearing Rias' answer. "I see. Very well then. I shall take my leave for today."

Standing up, he began moving towards Asia who looked at him with as much defiance as she could muster.

The man got down on one knee in front of Asia before taking her hand.

"My love, it shan't be long until the two of us will be together," he said before slowly bringing his head down to kiss Asia's hand.

Yeah right. Like I'm going to let you do that.

I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back up onto his feet before his lips could make contact with Asia's skin. Our eyes locked and he smiled at me.

"My, my. I would appreciate it if you removed your filthy hands from my body."

"I could say the same to you. All of us would appreciate it if you didn't come within one hundred meters of Asia. No, make that one thousand meters. You're creep factor might infect her with some kind of strange disease."

For a brief second I could see a flicker of anger cross his expression before it reverted to his smiling mask.

"Hm. I'm surprised Asia hasn't already been corrupted by being next to a barbarian li-"

Before Diodora could finish his sentence, Asia's hand lashed out and struck him across his face with a loud smack.

"Stop! Do not insult Saya!"

Asia, you...

Well, you sure have grown. Before she wouldn't have dared to hit anyone.

Diodora stood back onto his feet, not letting his mask slip.

"Very well, I shall take my leave now."

I have to give it to him, though. He really knows how to wear that smile.

Not wasting another second, Diodora teleported away and left us with a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Finally, Asia spoke up.

"Um... Should I not have done that?"

I looked down at her and pat her head. "It's fine. I appreciate you standing up for me, Asia."

As she snuggled into my hand I let my mind drift to the Rating Game. It's worrying that there's so much we don't know about our opponent this time around, but... there isn't much I can do about it right now. I'll have to leave the information gathering to Rias or Akeno-senpai.

* * *

Again... I lost at rock-paper-scissors again... Sometimes I really do wonder if I have any luck at all. Sighing, I pulled out my coin purse and stared at the vending machine in front of me.

Huh. If I remember correctly, wasn't this where I first met Valerie?

I idly flipped a coin as I tried to decide on a drink to get when suddenly someone grabbed the coin out of the air and slipped it into the coin slot.

"Hey, what the-?"

I turned around to see who it was that so rudely stole my spare change only to see a pair of familiar silver eyes staring right back at me.

"Valerie?!"

How the hell did she get so close to me without me noticing?

When I tried to back away, I found myself bumping into the vending machine behind me.

"Hello, my dear. It's nice to see you again," Valerie greeted with a smirk as she closed in on me.

There was no hostility in her actions so I dropped my guard for a split second which turned out to be a huge mistake on my part.

My face heated up as the taller girl suddenly pinned me to the vending machine with a predatory glint in her eyes. Trying my best to not act too flustered, I firmly stared into her eyes.

"You... What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh? Is there something wrong with me wanting to check up on my favorite rival?"

"Are you insinuating that you have more rivals than just me?"

"Would that make you jealous?"

Tch. What's with this girl? She's our enemy and yet she just casually waltzes into our headquarters as if its nothing!

Valerie smiled when I didn't answer her question. "I suppose I'll take that as a yes. I never took you for the shy type, Saya."

"Sh-Shut up! Just tell me what you're doing here if you're not going to fight!"

The girl shook her head as her expression suddenly turned serious. She let my hands go before stepping back and crossing her arms.

"Be careful of that Astaroth guy," she said. "You shouldn't charge in without a careful plan."

"Huh?"

Why is she warning me about that?

Seeing my confusion, Valerie continued explaining, "I'm sure you've seen the recording by now. That man did something that shouldn't have been possible."

"Valerie. Why are you telling me this?"

Smirking, she placed hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

"I just feel insecure that my destined rival would lose to that inferior man. Get stronger, Saya, and topple any obstacle standing in between the two of us. Eventually, I wish to fight you using my full power."

With that said, Valerie began to casually walk away while waving a hand over her shoulder.

Was she... worried about me? No matter what her reason was, her coming to check up on me and warn me about Diodora must mean that she was genuinely worried about me. Right?

Ah jeez, whatever. It's no use thinking about how she thinks. I don't think I'll ever understand the minds of battle maniacs like her. Whatever, I'll just get the drinks and head back.

With my heart still pounding furiously from the adrenaline running through my body, I hurriedly purchased the drinks from the vending machines.

* * *

"We're home!" I called out as I entered through the front door of my house along with Rias as per our usual schedule. Along the way home, I told her about my encounter with Valerie and... well... she was not happy to say the least. She was fuming about how Valerie could've slipped into the city without her or anyone else knowing. In the meantime, she said that we should probably head Valerie's warning about Diodora

"Ara, welcome home, Saya-chan."

I looked up at the sound of Akeno-senpai's voice after taking off my shoes only to find her wearing an extremely risque miko outfit. Not only was she showing a gratuitous amount of cleavage, but the sides of her legs were also on full display due to the slits on the sides of the skirt.

"A-A-Akeno-senpai?! Why are you wearing that?! You're showing too much skin!"

Well not that I'm complaining, but...

Oh geez. That costume is way too erotic. I mean, I'm used to seeing girls naked but... when someone as alluring as Akeno-senpai is wearing... that. It makes it kind of hard to keep a straight face.

W-Wait... Bare legs... I... I don't see any panties! Even if she was wearing a thong I would at least see the strings!

How bold...

I swallowed hard as I felt my heart begin to speed up.

"Ufufu. I can see that you're enjoying this, Saya-chan," Akeno-senpai whispered sensually as she traced her hands along the outline of her body.

"E-Er... well... that is... y-yeah..."

No good. My heart feels like it might just leap out of my chest. I have to keep calm. Akeno-senpai is just teasing me like usual.

Suddenly, Akeno-senpai grabbed my arm before pulling me close to her sweet smelling body.

"Eep!"

"Saya-chan, would you like to embrace me right here where everybody can watch, or..." she leaned in close to my ear and blew gently into it, causing me involuntarily twitch. "Would you like to go to your room where you can enjoy me all night long?"

No good. This is totally not good. My self-control is literally melting away at Akeno-senpai's seduction.

Just as I was about to give in and let Akeno-senpai have her way with me, I felt a cold shiver run down my back. It was a feeling of dread that I knew all too well. After all, it was usually accompanied by a large scale war that would usually end in the destruction of the surrounding environment.

"Akeno... What do you think you're doing?" Rias ground out menacingly.

"Ara, Rias, I didn't see you there."

Liar... was what I wanted to say if I didn't fear so much for my own well-being right now. If I don't find a chance to escape from this soon then I'll be caught in the crossfire.

"Tch. To think that you'd be so bold right in front of me, Akeno..."

Smiling as if unfazed by Rias' open hostility, Akeno-senpai suddenly began running her hands all over my body. "Well, Saya-chan and I will have a little bit of fun by ourselves so would you kindly leave? You are in the way."

Stop! Stop in more ways than one! Any more and...

"I'm in the way, you say..?"

It's too late. Rias has snapped.

Before she could begin flinging around her black magic, Asia, Xenovia, and Koneko-chan walked out from the living room the the entrance hall, all dressed in costumes. Both Asia and Xenovia were in similar miko costumes as Akeno-senpai that showed off equal amounts of skin while Koneko-chan was wearing something akin to a fur bikini along with a bell collar while her ears and tail were out.

It was beginning to become a sensory overload for me. I really can't take this all in at once!

"Umu. Just like Akeno-san said, this outfit really is easy to move in."

"Uu... but it's embarrassing without any underwear on..."

A-Asia... She was trying her best to not to let it bother her, but her shyness made her all the more cute.

"Nyau~..."

Next, Koneko-chan mewed while looking at me with upturned eyes.

My heart... My heart can't take much more of this. I'm really starting to lose control. If I don't get to another room where I'm not surrounded by beautiful and cute girls in cosplay then I might just break and jump on them all. I don't get it! How can harem protagonists have so much self-control?!

"Mm... Don't... Don't leave me out of this!" Rias uncharacteristically shouted with teary eyes before dashing off. Moments later she returned wearing something a succubus would probably wear.

"Here, Saya! I am obviously the best, aren't I?"

N-No more... I can't...

Rias pulled me out of Akeno-senpai's arms and hugged me tightly to her body as she pouted cutely. "Right, Saya? Say I'm the best."

"Y-Yeah..."

That was all I could say in my lust filled brain right now. I... I don't care anymore!

My hands began to unconsciously fondle Rias' breasts which elicited a small moan from her.

"Ah... S-Saya... Does this mean you like me better?" She asked with a triumphant smile on her face.

This softness is like heaven...

"Saya! You... I want you to touch me, too!" Akeno-senpai said as she grabbed one of my hands and placed it on her chest.

With one girl in each arm, I let my instincts take over and began showering their developed bodies with my affection. Their stifled moans spurred me on to try even harder to please them.

This is it. Life can't get any better than this.

Suddenly, I felt something hit me on the back of my head before I promptly blacked out.

* * *

Stretching, I took a swig from a bottle of water so kindly provided by the staff of the recording studio. A couple of days have passed since that fateful night where I... um... groped both Rias and Akeno-senpai at the same time. If it wasn't for Koneko-chan chopping me on the back of my head at that time then I would've totally gone all the way with them right in front of everyone else. Well... Something did happen that night but...

No, no, no! Don't think about that! Geez... My heart's pounding just from that...

I'm getting really worried about what's going to happen in the future if I have to deal with that on a constant basis.

Anyways, that same night we apparently got a call from a television studio wanting to interview us and that is why I'm here today. Well, I had already finished the interview portion but now I was recording some lines for a commercial for a new brand of toys featuring me that was coming out. Believe it or not, I had become quite famous in the Underworld after our fight with Kaichou's Peerage. So much so that they decided to make action figures of me transformed and chibi plushies of me in my normal form. Apparently the kids really love me for my cool-looking armor.

Well, it's no skin off my back. It feels kind of good to be a celebrity again, actually. Not to mention I'm also getting paid for this gig.

"Yo, Saya! You did pretty good in there!"

"Hm? Oh, yeah! Thanks."

I glanced up from my script to see one of the technicians working on the recording walking up to me.

"Haha, man, my boy has been absolutely obsessed with you ever since he watched that Rating Game. Well, I can't really say anything myself. You are pretty cute after all."

Ah... There's the flirting again... Ever since I entered the recording studio, a lot of the guys have been approaching me in hopes of getting into my pants. Honestly. Did they really think I'd be that loose? I mean, I did kind of sell out by doing this kind of work, but still! I do still have standards.

There were a couple of knocks on the door leading into the dressing room followed by it opening.

"Um, is Miss Saya here?"

A young girl with twin drilltails walked in while carrying a covered picnic basket. I immediately perked up and shoved the technician out of the way before running to greet the familiar face.

"Ravel! It's good to see you again!" I exclaimed while enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Uwah! M-Miss Saya?! Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Seeing how flustered the poor girl was at my hug, I immediately let her go and stepped back sheepishly.

"Oh, S-Sorry. I was just happy to see you after so long. How have you been?"

Ravel took a moment to recompose herself before answering. Although, she was still a little red in the face.

"I've been well, thank you, Miss Saya. A-Anyways, um... h-here!" She thrust out the basket towards me. "I-I brought some cake with me."

"Cake? Thank you, Ravel."

I took the basket from her and peeked inside. There sat an entire red velvet cake covered in icing with sprinkles of cinnamon. It took all my might to prevent myself from drooling at the sight of the heavenly object.

"This looks amazing, Ravel! You really know how to make cakes," I complimented the small girl while patting her on her head.

Once again, a huge blush covered the adorable girl's face as she stuttered with her reply.

"N-n-n-not at a-all! I-It's just, um... I-I wanted to do my best for y-you so..."

Giggling, I scraped off some of the cream from the top of the cake and tasted it.

Ah... How amazing... I could eat something like this everyday for the rest of my life.

"M-Miss Saya?! Th-that's dirty! You should at least use a fork!"

"Oh come on, don't be like that. I just couldn't wait to try some of this. Here, you should have some too. It's delicious."

I held out my finger which still had a bit of icing left on it.

"E-EH?! B-But... Th-That's..!"

"It's fine, it's fine! Go on, try some."

At my urging, Ravel reluctantly took my hand in hers.

"U-Um... then... e-excuse me..."

Ravel's small mouth enveloped my finger and I felt her tongue gently lapping up the cream.

"Mm..." A small moan escaped from Ravel's mouth as she continued to lick and suck.

"U-Um... Ravel?"

"Hah... Miss Saya's... Finger..."

As if she was in a trance, her tongue skillfully worked it's way around my finger as she took it even deeper in her mouth.

This... This was beginning to look really, really wrong. It didn't help one bit that she was also making slurping noises as she sucked and gasping noises whenever she had to take a breath.

Should I stop her? B-But... It's starting to feel kind of nice... Not to mention the look on Ravel's face right now looks super erotic.

Maybe I'll just keep watching for a little while longer. I mean, she is doing this all on her own. It's not like I"m forcing her to do this or anything.

Yeah. That's right. There's nothing wrong with this.

"Hwah?!"

Suddenly, Ravel's half-lidded eyes shot open and she scrambled backwards in a panic. She began wildly flailing her arms around in a comical fashion as she struggled to find an excuse for her extremely suggestive actions just now.

"M-M-Miss Saya! That wasn't-! It was-! It'snotwhatyouthinkitisidiotwhydidn'tyoustopme?!"

Ah, that reaction was seriously cute.

"A-Anyways, I'll be cheering for you during the Rating Game! P-Please, excuse me!"

Without giving me a chance to respond or even say goodbye, the young Phenex dashed out of the room.

* * *

"Phew..."

I came out of the bath's changing area with a sigh of contentment. It really is nice to have such a high quality bath area in my own house. As I made my way back to my room, a light coming from one of the rooms caught my attention.

There's still somebody in the training room at this hour? Maybe I should check it out.

Opening the slightly ajar door, I step into the room to see Xenovia putting all her attention into swinging a bamboo sword. Noticing me she lowered her sword and nodded at me.

"Saya. Good evening."

"Hey, Xenovia. Working hard, I see. You know, if you train this much you'll wear your body out."

She's really been upping her training regiment recently. Everyday before dawn she would already be down here practicing her sword skills. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. It seems like something's been on her mind recently.

"Thank you, but... I must continue training. After all, I'm falling behind everyone else..."

Falling behind... Ah, she must mean Yumi. Ever since Yumi got her Balance Breaker she received a massive increase in skill. That last Rating Game must have really drilled that thought into Xenovia's mind. After all, she was defeated fairly early on and Yumi managed to use Durandal even better than her.

"Alright, let me help you, then," I said while taking a bamboo sword from one of the nearby racks. I test swung it a few times to get a handle on the weight before turning to face Xenovia. "Come at me anytime you're ready, and don't hold anything back."

She looked apprehensive for a second before settling into a stance and raising her sword.

"Very well."

Xenovia quickly dashed forward with her sword high in the air before bringing it crashing down with all the force she could muster. The floor and the bamboo sword would've been decimated by the strike if they weren't protected by magical barriers.

I easily side-stepped the attack before swinging my own sword in retaliation. In a flash, she brought her sword upwards and deflected my strike. She quickly followed up with a horizontal slash which I jumped backwards to avoid.

Switching to a fencing stance, I counterattacked with a flurry of pokes and stabs which forced Xenovia to backpedal away from me. After I had pushed her against the wall, I leaped forward while gripping my sword with two hands before bringing it down on Xenovia's head. She blocked the strike before pushing me away from her, causing a small lull in the battle.

Before long, our spar continued with us trading attacking and defending roles. She had slowly begun to adapt to my unpredictable switching and has also been incorporating some of my own techniques in her strikes.

Smirking, I urged Xenovia to attack first.

Xenovia frowned, but she dashed forward regardless. This time, however, she started with a low feint before interchanging into an overhead.

Not good. Not good at all.

I waited until the last second right before her sword would make contact with my head before quickly swinging my own sword upwards.

A loud smack resounded in the room as I sent Xenovia's bamboo sword flying out of her hands.

Gotcha!

As I swung my sword back down, I was interrupted when Xenovia's fist crashed into my stomach.

"Gah..!"

That was... not what I expected...

All the strength left my body along with my breath as I slumped into Xenovia's outstretched arms. At the same time, my bathrobe slipped off of my body, leaving me completely naked.

"I'm surprised... I thought you would have been stunned by that technique..."

"I was taught to always adapt on the battlefield. Being surprised by your opponent will only lead to your death."

"Ahaha... Good point..."

We fell into silence for a moment.

"Thank you, Saya," Xenovia said. "I feel a little better after that."

"No problem. I'll help you train anytime, just say the word."

"Saya, I heard from Asia that you're planning to form your own Peerage when the time comes."

"Ah, well, yeah, I guess I am. As much as I enjoy my life with Rias, I also want to become a dependable leader like her. In a way, she's saved all our lives and gave us a purpose. I want to be someone like her for others."

"That is a noble goal. Now I see why Asia said she would stay by your side no matter what happens."

"Well we did make a promise, after all."

"Then, do you have space for one more companion?" Xenovia asked with an honest smile.

"Of course," I nodded. "Are you saying you want to join me as well?"

"Yes. I wish to stay by your side forever, Saya."

After saying those words, Xenovia took me by surprise by planting a small kiss on my lips.

"Ah."

I stared, shocked at her. She returned my look with another small smile.

"Well, Master, allow me to take you up to your room to rest."

Before I could protest, Xenovia lifted me up in her arms with no effort and began carrying me back to my room in a princess carry.

Ah... It's so warm...

It didn't take very long before I felt my consciousness slipping away from me.

Looks like the future is looking pretty bright. I'll have less to fear with not only Asia, but Xenovia by my side.

Those were my last thoughts before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** C++

 **Endurance:** B

 **Agility:** A+

 **Magic:** C

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusabble], Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** A+ - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that give near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Hero's Ballad:** (N/A)

 **Z***ra Weave:** (N/A)

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

 **Makiage:** A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.

* * *

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 8

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 9

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 9

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 6

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 0

 **Ravel Phenex:** Rank 6


	21. Afterstory 2

**AN:** I'm pretty sure most of you saw this coming after the last chapter. Well, nothing else much to say except a little warning. Just like the previous fluff chapter, this chapter only includes fluff. So even if you skip this you won't really be missing on much. Without further ado, please enjoy.

* * *

"Mm…"

Huh? I… What happened to me? I remember Rias and Akeno-senpai clinging onto me and fighting over me. Then… I felt something hit me before blacking out.

Looking around, I noticed that I was lying in my bed. It was also dark out meaning that I had been unconscious for a few hours at least.

"Hyauh!"

I let out a strange sound as I felt something gently stroking my inner thighs from under the covers. What the hell? Did Rias sneak into my room again?

Pulling the blanket off of me, I prepared myself to berate her for intruding in my bed when I saw that it was actually Akeno-senpai that was rubbing my legs.

"Akeno-senpai?! What are you doing there?!"

"Ufufu."

Instead of answering me, she just giggled before crawling up so that she was eye level with me. That's when I noticed that not only was I completely naked, but she was completely nude as well.

Wait, hold on! This sort of development is a little too sudden! You can't just spring this on someone who just woke up!

"It's nice to see you awake, Saya-chan. I was getting a little lonely waiting for you," she whispered as she pushed her body against mine.

"U-Um… Akeno-senpai… Is this what I think it is?"

Akeno-senpai smiled devilishly.

"And what do you think this is?"

"Ugh… I hate it when you're like this…"

I could feel my face burning up as my eyes avoided meeting hers. My heart pounded in anticipation as I felt Akeno-senpai's hot breaths against my skin.

"Saya-chan, you're adorable when you're like this."

Without another word, one of her hands finds the nape of my neck before pressing her mouth onto my lips. The tip of her tongue outlines my lips. I part lips and her tongue slips in without a moment of hesitation. At the same time, her other hand slid down to cradle my hips.

Akeno-senpai pulled away and gazed at me with lust-filled eyes.

"A-Akeno-senpai…"

My voice was small. I could barely even hear it over the pounding of my heart.

"Saya-chan, please, can you call me Akeno? Even if it is just for this moment, it would make me unbelievably happy."

"Then… Akeno."

At that, she smiled before kissing me again. With each of gentle caresses, I can feel my body getting hotter and hotter. It was almost unbearable now.

I want her, I need her. Those were the only thoughts that were running through my head right now.

My eyes close as I lean towards Akeno. Her body shudders slightly as I brush my lips against her throat. Urged on by her reaction, I gently nibble and lick at the soft, fragrant skin between her jaw and her collar bone.

Akeno gasps when my fingers trace her curves. Not wanting to lose, she mimics my hand movements as my mouth continues to roam on her neck.

Before long the two of us were left panting and gazing longingly at each other with desire.

Taking the initiative, Akeno lowers her head to my chest. I wait with bated breath as I watch her, transfixed.

My body quivers and I let out a small gasp at the sensations. Her nibbling and licking continued to drive me crazy as one of her hands delicately explored my body.

Suddenly I feel Akeno's other hand, which has been idle until now, start to stroke up and down the inside of my thighs.

I couldn't stop myself from squirming as she continued to tease me. The combined feelings of her mouth and hands were too much to bear. Before long I found myself grasping at the bed sheets while biting my lower lip in a futile attempt to mute my moans.

Akeno seemed to be enjoying my reactions as they fueled her to go even further. The ache in between my legs grew more and more unbearable with each fluttering touch until I was writhing in anticipation.

After what felt like an eternity I finally felt her fingers stroke my lips, using my wetness to further lubricate me.

A shock passed through my body and I had to cup a hand over my mouth to keep from being too loud.

Noticing this, Akeno looks up and smiles.

"There's no need to keep quiet. I want to hear more of your cute moans."

As if to cement that point, her fingers lightly begin rubbing my clit. Little shocks run through my body under her touch and before long my body seizes up as I feel contractions running through my stomach.

My arms and legs instinctively wrap around Akeno and pull her close to me as the orgasm rocked my body. With one final shudder, I exhale deeply and relax.

I was left exhausted and gasping for air.

"Ufufu, was that enjoyable, Saya-chan?"

I could only nod as I was still trying to recover. Honestly I didn't think Akeno would be so skilled. Where did she learn to do all that?

Taking her hand from between my legs, Akeno brought it up to her mouth and licked her fingers.

"Delicious," she commented after thoroughly cleaning her fingers.

My face heated up at her unnecessary compliment and I felt myself drifting off in her arms. Ugh, crap, no. I can't fall asleep yet, I still haven't done anything for Akeno.

As if reading my thoughts, Akeno gently cradled me in her chest while running her hand through my hair.

"Don't worry, Saya," she whispered. "I've enjoyed myself enough for today. You have plenty of time to repay me later."

"But…"

"It's fine. Don't worry."

Her gentle words and soothing continued to lull me further into sleep, and there was nothing I could do about it. Instead, I simply basked in the afterglow. The warmth that radiated from Akeno's body soothed me and I found myself to be soon overtaken by the darkness of sleep.


	22. Astaroth's Assault 2

**AN:** The next installment of DRE finally arrives. I had some trouble writing this chapter, but I think I did a fairly good job depicting the final scene. Well, it took me around five rewrites to get the right feel for it so hopefully everyone will enjoy and understand it. Also, intense drama and backstory revelations.

* * *

The days passed by in a flash and before I knew it the day of our Rating Game against Diodora Astaroth had arrived. We gathered together and did our usual preparations before stepping into the magic circle to be transported.

I opened my eyes once the blinding light of the transfer circle finally faded to find that we had arrived in some kind of ancient ruins. So this will be our battlefield this time.

Heh. In a case like this, I have the home field advantage then. My adventurer's senses have already begun to map out the entire area along with any good secrets. No matter what kind of powers Diodora and his Peerage might have, as long as I use my skills at traversing this kind of terrain then I might hold a good advantage.

And so we waited.

And waited…

And waited some more.

What the heck? Isn't this usually when Grayfia-san or somebody did the whole announcement thing?

"Strange…" Rias muttered.

Everyone else voiced their agreement with her as we scanned our surroundings. Just then, a multitude of magic circles appeared around us, effectively creating a circle.

I immediately took a battle stance. Those magic circles don't belong to the Astaroth family. I managed to get a good look at it back when Diodora visited us so I know for sure this wasn't his.

"This is..!" Looks like Rias know who they belong to. "These belong to the ones that are affiliated to the Old-Maou faction in the Khaos Brigade!"

The Khaos Brigade? Shit! Did we wander into some kind of trap?!

The first figures appeared from the circles as more and more began appearing. Tens of them soon began turning into hundreds and before long I had completely lost track of how many Devils there were.

Not good. This is really not good. I'm not sure if we can take on this many enemies at once even if we go all out.

"Rias Gremory," one of the Devils spoke. "Your life is ours."

So they're targeting Rias? But why now of all times? Wait, could it be?

I quickly whirled around to try to find Asia, but I couldn't see her anywhere.

"Greetings everyone."

That voice is… Diodora's. I looked up at the sound of his voice to see him floating above us while carrying an unconscious Asia in his arms.

Once we saw me looking at him, he gave me a deranged smile. "Hmhmhm, yes, I do so enjoy that look on your face right now. I'm sure the look of despair you'd have after I've finished with Asia will look exquisite as well. Hopefully you will survive long enough for me to see it."

"Kh! Bastaaard! Let her go!"

Before I could leap at him, I felt someone wrap their arms around me and pull me back.

"Stop, Saya!" Yumi warned. "If you attack him recklessly, you might endanger Asia."

Shit!

Reluctantly, I relaxed my tensed muscles and glared up at Diodora.

"Now, I shall have you all die at the hands of the Khaos Brigade."

"I see… so you are affiliated with the Khaos Brigade, Diodora," Rias ground out. "Not only that but you are also trying to steal Asia away from us."

"Hmph. The Khaos Brigade allows me to do whatever I want unlike the stiff rules of this society. Well, Red Dragon Empress, if you make it out alive then come to the temple."

Leaving those last words hanging in the air, Diodora disappeared along with Asia.

Damn! Damn it! What the hell?! I'll definitely kill that guy! Who the hell does he think he is?!

But… We'll have to deal with these Devils first. After Diodora was done talking, the enemies surrounding us began casting magic. Even with Akeno-senpai and Rias here I don't think we'll have the power to block everything.

Alright. It looks like I have no choice but to use "that".

"Rho A-!"

"Iyaaaa!"

Huh? At the sound of Akeno-senpai's scream, I stopped my incantation and tried to see what was wrong.

Wh-What the? That pervy god is lifting up Akeno-senpai's skirt up with a lecherous expression on his face.

"Hoho, very nice. These curves are exquisite!"

Odin… You…

Before I knew what I was doing, I had grabbed a comically large paper fan from my Vault and smacked him over the head with it.

"Stop that or I'll castrate you, you no good god."

"Harumph. Is that any way to treat somebody who came to help you?" The Norse god complained while stroking his beard.

"Odin?! Why are you here?" Rias asked in surprise.

"Well, as you've probably guessed by now, the Khaos Brigade have infiltrated into the Rating Game. Since they have erected powerful barrier around this field, the overseers cannot enter to provide their support. Instead, I have come to assist you," the old man explained.

"Wait, if the others can't enter then how did you?"

"Hohoho. An inquisitive mind is always welcome, young dragon. It is because of this artificial eye of mine."

Right, I was wondering what that was. On closer inspection there seemed to be a glowing crystal at the center acting as some sort of pupil as unfamiliar runes flashed across the glass covering. Huh, maybe he can let me study that later. I've never seen anything like that before.

 **[Partner, sometimes I wonder if you really are missing a few screws… I'd stay away from that thing if I were you.]**

Ignoring Ddraig's offhand comment, I returned my attention to our enemies who seemed to be getting riled up at the prospect of killing Odin.

Ahaha. Yeah, right. If they think they can kill a god as old as Odin then they deserve everything that's going to happen to them next.

All at once the Devils launched a barrage of magic towards us. Unflinching, Odin lightly tapped his staff on the ground and negated all of the attacks in an instant.

"Ah what a pain… I'm getting too old to deal with these young ones."

As he said that, he created miniature barriers that enveloped each of our bodies while handing us earpieces.

"Now go. I'll take care of these terrorists while you all head to the shrine."

Nodding, I put the communication device in my ear. "Alright, thanks old man. Take care of yourself. Don't get so worked up that you end up hurting yourself, alright?"

"Oh don't you worry, young lady. I'm still plenty spry enough to deal with these ones. Now hurry on."

"Thank you, Odin," Rias said as we began running in the direction of the shrine.

Not long after we departed, there was a large explosion behind us followed by a multitude of death screams. Yep. The one thing you should never do is to underestimate a god.

" _Testing, testing, you guys there?"_

Azazel-sensei's lazy voice drifted into our ears from our earpieces.

"Yes, we can hear you," Rias answered.

" _Alright, good. Listen, I'm sure Odin already explained but we're currently dealing with a terrorist attack from the Khaos Brigade. Don't worry though, we were expecting this so we took proper countermeasures. We're fighting off the Devils from the old Maou faction right now."_

So they already knew this would happen? It'd be nice if they gave us a bit of a heads up.

" _You also might have heard of the string of mysterious deaths of the Devils who are related to the current Maous. That's also due to the Khaos Brigade. It's a good thing that Astaroth kid showed his during his match against the Agares girl since they allowed us to predict something like this."_

Something like that has been happening behind our backs? That's… kind of scary.

" _Anyways, the shrine Odin told you guys to head to has a secure underground room where you can hide until all this blows over. Some of us have managed to enter the field along with Odin so you can leave the terrorists to us."_

"Wait, what? No! Diodora's kidnapped Asia!"

" _That… I see. Then leave her to us. It's too dangerous for you all to be out in the open. Not to mention there will be no support for any of you if you get injured."_

He's worried for us but… There's no way I can just leave Asia like that. I made a promise to protect her and to stay by her side for the rest of her life, and I'm not planning to break that promise.

"Sensei, sorry, but we're not backing down from this. Asia is a precious member of our family. There's no way we can abandon her like that."

"That's right," Xenovia added. "Nobody can tell us otherwise. We will save Asia."

" _You brats… Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?!"_

I could tell that Azazel-sensei was getting angry, but that's not going to deter us.

"My apologies, Sensei, but we have no intentions of standing idly by. As a King, I have an obligation to protect Asia and punish the one that dares to try to steal her away from me," Rias said.

"Also, is it not within our right to exercise our powers against traitors like Diodora?" Akeno-senpai finished.

There was a long silence before Azazel-sensei finally gave a long, drawn out sigh.

" _Alright. Fine. You win. I won't stop you from doing what you want. Just don't get yourselves killed, and don't be afraid to go all out either. Got it?"_

""Yes!""

We all answered simultaneously as our morale began to soar. We were going to save Asia. No matter what! No more words were exchanged between us as we made our way deeper and deeper into the temple.

* * *

"Kehahahaha! Welcome, Rias Gremory and her servants! I'm glad to see that you survived. Now I can get the pleasure of killing you myself!"

That voice! Diodora? It seemed like his voice was being projected all around us so there was no way to pinpoint his actual location.

"Don't waste your time looking for me. Instead, let's play a game."

At his words, ten figures shrouded in robes stepped forward from the darkness in front of us.

"We'll have a duel with our pieces. Both of us cannot use the same piece repeatedly until you reach me. For our first match I shall be using all of my Pawns and Rooks. In addition to that, my Pawns have all been Promoted to Queens. Oh, and if you break the rule then there is a very nasty punishment awaiting you."

Are you kidding me? So he's using Asia as leverage to make us agree to that stupid rule. That means… His Knights, Bishops, and Queen are left once we get past here. The problem is we won't know the formation he uses until we get there. If we use up too many resources fighting here, we won't make it to Asia, but at the same time if we use too little we run the risk of losing the battle.

This bastard! He thought that up just to put us at a clear disadvantage.

"Alright. I agree," Rias answered before turning to us. "Then, Saya, Koneko, Xenovia and Gasper will handle this."

The four of us, huh? We all shared a look together before gathering around Rias to hear her strategy.

"Xenovia, you take care of the two Rooks. Make sure you don't hold anything back."

"Understood," the Knight nodded. "I shall fight with everything I have."

"Next, Koneko, you will lead the charge against the Pawns while Saya and Gasper provide support, and Saya, have Gasper drink your blood."

"Right."

"Y-Yes!"

"Got it."

After reconfirming our orders, the four of us that were chosen squared off against our ten enemies. It was a daunting task, but…

For Asia, I'd slay a whole army if I had to in order to save her.

"Gasper, are you ready?"

The timid vampire nodded and brought his mouth to my neck. I flinched slightly as I felt his fangs sink into my flesh and the blood began to rush out of me. A moment later, Gasper peeled away, covered in a menacing aura.

"Saya, do you mind lending Ascalon to me?" Xenovia asked.

"Hm? Sure."

I ejected Ascalon out of my Boosted Gear before carefully handing it to Xenovia.

"Thank you," she said before taking a stance with both swords gripped in her hands.

In the meantime, Koneko-chan, Gasper, and I prepared ourselves to fight the Pawns.

"Promotion: Queen!"

 **[BOOST!]**

As soon as I Promoted, three of the Pawns broke off from the main group and circled around Koneko-chan.

Beside us, Xenovia had begun her battle with the Rooks if her highly destructive swings and sword waves was of any indication.

But, no time to think about that now. Judging by their trajectory, the Pawns are aiming for Gasper.

"E-Eeeeek!"

I sweat dropped as Gasper panicked and screamed. Seems like even if he is powered up like this, he still can't deal with pressure.

Using Shundo, I placed myself in front of Gasper before drawing the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and blowing them all away with a single swing.

"Sorry girls, but you're not getting him that easily."

I tapped the end of the weapon on the ground and beckoned them to attack again. Heh. Let me show you the power of a dragon.

"Gasper, you go help out Koneko-chan. I'll deal with these three."

"R-Right!"

The Dhampire ran off to support Koneko-chan who had already began battling with the five other Pawns.

I returned my attention back to the three Pawns who had begun circling around me now. My eyes tracked each of their movements, trying to pay attention for any sudden movements. At the same time I began concentrating my ki into the blade of my weapon. The fact that they are weary of me means I've already won.

All at once, the three of them dashed towards me. Finally. It was about time.

"Devour!"

The weapon, now properly charged, projected the spirit of a jade dragon that followed the blade as I swung it in a circle around me. Even though the blade did not touch the Pawns, the dragon passed straight through them which caused them to simultaneously topple to the ground, unconscious.

That was too easy.

I glanced in Xenovia's direction to see that she had brought both the holy swords in her possession over her head before bringing them down. A large shockwave rocked the ruins as two waves appeared and tore apart the ruins in front of her. The two Rooks didn't stand a chance against the massive attack as they seemingly evaporated from taking the attack. Even though she was breathing heavily, Xenovia had a triumphant look on her face.

"I did it… Asia…" I heard her mumble.

Meanwhile, it seems like Koneko-chan and Gasper are also finished. The rest of the Pawns were all frozen in various poses as Koneko-chan went around knocking them out.

I really didn't expect things to go so well. In a way, it was kind of underwhelming.

"Good work, everyone," Rias praised us as we regrouped around her. "You all did amazing."

Huh. I guess Azazel-sensei was right when he said that we have more destructive power individually than most Peerages.

Now all that's left are the Queen, the Knights, the Bishops and the King himself. Meanwhile, there's only Rias, Akeno-senpai, and Yumi left for us.

"Alright everyone, let's continue," Rias said after we've had a little rest.

Not too soon after we began moving, we came across three figures. If I remember correctly, they're the Bishops and the Queen.

I noticed this earlier when I was going over their files, but… Diodora really likes his blonde girls. I mean, almost his entire Peerage is made up of them. Is that why he's going after Asia as well? He just wants a harem of blondes?

Akeno-senpai giggled as she stepped forward. "I see. In this case, allow me to handle this."

"And I as well," Rias added. "Yumi should be enough for the remaining two Knights."

"Ara, Buchou. I don't need your help to deal with this small fries."

"I don't doubt that, Akeno, but it would be best to conserve your power for the final battle."

A Rias and Akeno-senpai combo is definitely deadly. Both of them possess extremely destructive magic on their own already, but if they combine it then I can imagine them leveling an entire city.

Right then, I felt someone tug on my sleeve. I looked down and saw that it was Koneko-chan.

She motions for me to lean down before whispering in my ear.

"You know…"

Eh? Huh?

"N-No way am I going to do that! Especially with Rias here! Even if it powers them up, I won't do it!"

Koneko-chan just stared up at me with a frown.

"You want to save Asia, don't you?"

"Ugh!"

She got me there.

"Aaaagh! Whatever! I got it! But you have to make this up to me later, alright, Koneko-chan?!"

The girl just smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

Dammit. I am so going to regret this.

I turned to Akeno-senpai and called out to her.

"A-Akeno-onee-sama~! Um… I-If you win really fast then… I-I'll do anything you want for a day!" I said in my best cutesy voice.

Dammit Koneko-chan! But no… All of this is for the sake of saving Asia!

"Oh..? Ufufufu. Wonderful! Then I shall hold you to that promise, Saya-chan~!"

This it. I've sold my soul and now I've sold my body.

"Wh-What?! Saya! How could you say that when you already have me?!"

"Er, no! That is, well, Koneko-chan said that I shou-"

Before I could explain myself, Akeno-senpai cut in.

"Ara, Rias. You should know that this means that Saya loves me more than you."

"N-No way! How could you say that when Saya and I have already consummated our love?!"

Well at least Koneko-chan's plan is working. I just can't wait to deal with the aftermath of this.

"Ufufufu. If it's just that, then Saya and I have also went that far. In fact, I managed to record our entire night together to enjoy later."

Wait, what?! She recorded all that?! That's… That's just… I'm going to need to speak to her later about that…

"W-Well I've also went on a date with her!"

By now it seemed like Rias was grasping at straws, but Akeno-senpai was keeping as calm as she could.

"Oh? I'm sure that it is clear that Saya prefers me from her offer just now, though."

And now Rias is pouting.

"Can you say with confidence that you can please her better than I can?!"

"Of course. It's not even a competition in that case."

"Grrr… Akeno, you…"

This is ridiculous. The fact that they're speaking so openly about this in front of everyone else was more than embarrassing. Actually, I think I can feel my comrades' burning gazes boring a hole into the back of my head.

Thankfully, the enemy Queen seemed to have gotten fed up with the argument.

"Hey, you two! Would you quit it with your lovers' quarrel and hurry up and fight us?"

"You shut up!"

"Stay out of this!"

In response to the Queen's interjection, both Rias and Akeno-senpai sent out their anger towards each other through a massive, combined magic attack in the direction of the two Bishops and the Queen.

They had no chance to get out of the way of the unannounced attack before being completely obliterated by it.

"In that case," Rias growled as traces of her magic danced across her outstretched hand. "Let us have a competition when we get home."

Akeno-senpai smiled darkly as electricity continued to crackle around her body. "Wonderful idea. I will make it clear to you that Saya belongs to me."

Ah… Ahaha…

"Hey, Koneko-chan. You'll take responsibility and protect me, right?" I asked the instigator.

"Hm… Maybe."

Great. Just great.

Well, I guess I'll just have to deal with those two later. Somehow.

And like that, the anti-climactic battles with Diodora's underlings were about to come to an end. All that's left is for Yumi to deal with the final two Knights.

Or… That's what I thought.

When we reached the next checkpoint, we found a familiar, white-haired former exorcist waiting for us.

"Yo, yo, yo! It's great to see you bastards again! Ihihihihi!"

"Freed?"

How is he still alive? I was sure that Yumi had finished him off.

"Oh, lemme guess! You must be thinking…" Freed adopted a mock thinking posture. "How is this handsome man still alive? Am I right? I'm right, aren't I? Ihihihi! I'm a genius, after all! Ihihihihi!"

It kind of seems like he's even crazier than before. Although, that doesn't answer why he's here instead of those Knights.

"Kihihihi… You must also be wondering where the two Knights are. Hmmmmm?"

This guy. Is he reading my mind?

"Well the answer to that is… I ate them~!"

Ate?! What the hell is he saying?!

That's when I noticed his smile. Instead of human teeth, his mouth was filled with razor sharp incisors, and stuck to those teeth, were chunks of flesh and skin.

"Monster…" Koneko-chan said warily.

After Koneko-chan said that, Freed's body began morphing. His skin stretched and ripped as he grew larger and larger. His complexion turned a sickening shade of purple as horns and a tail appeared on his body. It didn't stop there as his body turned more and more grotesque as limbs of varying shapes and sizes sprouted out at seemingly random areas. The only thing about him that remained remotely human was half of his face. The other half was distorted into something like a snake's.

"Nice, isn't it? This is the reward I got after the Khaos Brigade found me and saved me! Isn't it wonderful?! Kyahahahaha!"

Ridiculous. This was ridiculous. Who could be so insane as to modify a human's body to look like that?

"And you know what? Wanna know something beautiful about that Diodora guy? Do you? You do, don't you?"

What now? If one thing hasn't changed about him, it's his ability to not stop talking.

"That Diodora, he has a thing for holy virgins. You know, those sacks of flesh you call nuns."

Nuns? Wait, does that mean Asia is..?

"His victims are always strong believers or holy maidens. His whole fetish is that he loves making those girls "fall", you know? He uses sweet words to seduce those pure girls and turns them into his slaves! Kahahaha! Isn't that wonderful?!"

Are you serious?

Seeing the expression on my face, Freed renews his explanation with even more energy. "And you wanna know what the kicker is? Cute little Asia getting expelled from the Church? That was all caused by him! He wanted to fuck Asia so much that he didn't mind hurting himself! And then, once Asia had healed him and got kicked out, she'll run to him when he offers his support! That's how Diodora operates! Well, how is it? Isn't it so amazingly beautiful?!"

This guy…

"Don't…"

I could hardly contain my anger anymore. Asia, who is such a kind-hearted girl… That bastard took advantage of her feelings just so he could fulfill his own twisted fantasies? What the fuck is that?

"Don't… Fuck with me!"

No mercy! After I tear this shitty priest's heart out and shove it down his throat, I'll go to that bastard Diodora, rip his fingernails off slowly before stabbing them into his eyes. Then, I'll crush his arms and legs and flay him until his organs are on full display for the world to see.

Before I could attack Freed and tear him limb from limb, I felt a hand on my shoulder holding me back.

"Stop, Saya. Save your energy for Diodora. I'll handle him," Yumi said as she stepped forward.

"But-!"

"You know. I normally don't get angry, but… After hearing that. Even I can't sit still anymore."

Even though I couldn't see her face, I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was probably just as furious as I was.

"Fine," I relented. "Make sure you end this quick. I want to go kill that Diodora bastard already."

"Trust me. I feel the same."

"Kehyahyahya! Do you really think you can beat me?! I'm unstoppable now! I'm-!"

Before Freed could finish his sentence, Yumi had disappeared and reappeared directly behind him.

"Eh? Huh? What, what, what? What… is this..?"

"Side characters like you should stay dead if we've already killed you once," Yumi said coldly as she flicked the blood off of her sword.

As if on cue, millions of cuts appeared across Freed's body before he fell to pieces.

"Come one, let's go."

You don't have to tell us that.

Without another word, we began heading to the final confrontation.

I was the first one to arrive at the shrine inside of the temple. What I saw reminded me of the first time I had to save Asia. She was tethered to some sort of magical device.

"Asia!" I tried to call out to her.

When she didn't respond at first, I began getting worried that I might've been too late.

"Saya..?"

To my relief, she raised her head and looked in my direction. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying.

What the hell did that bastard do to her?!

"You're finally here."

Diodora… He stepped out from behind one of the pillars with that disgusting smile of his.

"Bastard! What did you do to Asia?!"

"Oh? Nothing much. I simply told her the truth; like that failed experiment did to you."

Just how far does he intend to make Asia suffer?! What is this sick bastard's problem?!

"Ahahahahaha! How exquisite! That look of pure hatred on your face, it's almost as beautiful as Asia's despair-filled expression when I told her my plan! So far, out of every holy maiden I've corrupted, she's had the best one."

"Shut… up…"

"Ah, but, I truly was surprised. I didn't expect for you to interfere with my original plan. Although, this scenario is far more ideal! I'll get to see your futile attempts at saving your beloved as I steal her away from you!"

No more…

The taste of iron filled my mouth, and I realized that I was biting my lips.

"I'd love to see how you would react as I'm raping her. Would you scream and throw insults at me? Would you simply lose all hope and break? Oh, the possibilities are endless."

It's no use. All I'm seeing is red. Hey, hey, it's okay to kill this waste of an existence as brutally as possible. Right? I'm not holding anything back anymore.

"Hehe… Haha… You've purposely made me angry, haven't you? That means… you're ready to reap the consequences, right?"

" _Ddraig, release all limiters. I don't care what happens to my body. I'm going all out here."_

 **[Heh. Alright, Partner. I want to destroy this spoiled brat as much as you do. Just make sure you don't do any permanent damage. Asia would be sad if that happened.]**

Alright. Let's crush this insect.

 **[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker: Blade Dancer!]**

I had been saving this new transformation for Valerie, but I guess now is good enough.

Unlike the regular plate armor that covers me in my Balance Breaker form, the red armor formed into metal dress as a circle of floating swords hovered over my back.

"Everyone, I know you want to beat this bastard's face in as much as I do, but can you let me handle this?"

Rias smiled defeated and nodded. "Very well. Besides, it'd be a waste of effort to try to stop you now. Go on. Don't hold anything back."

"I have no intentions to."

From my Vault, I drew the former holy sword, Clarent. I think I'll be able to use its true form now. With this amount of hatred… Yeah. I'll definitely be able to use it.

"O cursed sword of radiance."

As I began my aria, closed the gap between Diodora and me in an instant before delivering a deep cut into his arm.

"Wh-what..? How..?" A look of panic spread across the bastard's face as he tried to back away while erecting a barrier.

I didn't want to just kill him. I wanted to maim him to the point where he would be begging for his life.

"Once belonging to the loyal knight who committed patricide."

Another slash that easily cut through the barrier. A couple of his fingers were caught and were cleanly sliced off.

"How is this possible?! I have the blood of Astaroth! There's no way I can be losing against low-class filth like this!"

Screaming in frustration, Diodora unleashed a torrent of magical bullets at me. In retaliation, the swords floating behind me flew in front and formed a shield that blocked them as I closed in on the bastard again.

"Feel my hatred towards this man."

The next slash nearly cut his arm off at the shoulder. Diodora screamed in pain, but continued to fire at me while running away.

"Impossible! Impossible! Ophis granted me unbelievable strength, so why can't I kill you?!"

Mustering all of his power, the bastard created a massive magic circle above me, and spears began to rain down from it.

The shield made of swords began individually firing at the spears to intercept them at my will as more appeared around me to reinforce them.

"Take my hatred, and recognize me as your new master!"

A rain of steel pelted down around me as my swords shattered against the stone steels. In the midst of the maelstrom, I stood calmly as Clarent began taking its true form.

The organic matter shriveled and fell off of the blade, revealing its silver sheen that beautifully reflected the moonlight. It no longer held its grotesque form and was restored to its original caliber.

Taking a stance, I began gathering power into the blade. I could feel my strength and emotions being drained as red lighting crackled around the sword.

"Die! Die! Die!" The bastard shrieked.

Diodora grew more and more panicked as he saw that his attack wasn't working.

The area around me turned red as the swords aura crackled and danced. Clarent's blade was now completely enveloped in the blood red energy.

Holding the sword above my head, I prepared to bring it down and end the fight.

"Rip and tear! Clarent Blood Arthur!"

Everything around me was blown away as I unleashed the sword's power. The earth and sky were ripped asunder as the surging wave of hatred destroyed everything in its path along the way to its target.

"Ugh!"

After releasing its power, my body was suddenly racked with immense pain that forced me to my knees. It felt like my insides were being repeatedly stabbed by a hot poker.

Is this the price for using this sword? Not only did I use up all my energy, but it also hurts like hell. Looks like this is really just a final blow thing.

I squinted through the pain in the bastard's direction. His body was charred and smoking on the floor, but I could see his chest rising and falling.

It also looks like the sword hasn't really fully accepted me yet.

My modified armor dissipated from my body as I struggled to my feet while using Clarent to support me..

"Don't worry. I've got you."

Yumi quickly slung my arm over her shoulders and held me up as we made our way to the bastard who was slowly beginning to get up.

He began crawling on all fours to try to scramble away from us, but I stopped him by holding Clarent by his neck.

"Hey, bastard. Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Eeeeek! P-Please! Don't kill me!"

He was shaking in fear and I could tell that he was about to wet himself.

"Tch. How pathetic. Now that you're on the losing end, you start begging for your life?"

"Please! Please don't kill me! I'll do anything! Anything you ask!"

"Then apologize. Put your head to the floor and apologize. After that, squeal like the pig you are while you lick the soles of my shoes. Don't forget to give your thanks for my benevolence either."

Honestly, I was too tired to care right now. That attack uses hatred as fuel so I can't really bring myself to kill this bastard right now. So instead, I might as well humiliate him.

"Y-Yes! Understood!"

Diodora quickly and eagerly smashed his face into the ground, and began to grovel.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for all my actions! I'm sorry for corrupting all of those holy maidens! I'm sorry for tricking Asia! And I'm sorry for thinking that a worthless pig like me could defeat any of you! Oink, oink, oink!"

Wow. He's really going at it, isn't he?

"And most of all, thank you, mistress, for showing mercy on this ugly pig!"

"A-Alright! That's enough! You're creeping me out now! Just stay away from Asia and any other holy maidens from now on! You got it?"

I gingerly shook Diodora off of my leg as he continued to mumble apologies and thanks. This is really pathetic.

"You're not going to finish him?" Xenovia asked as she approached me.

"No," I shook my head. "He's related to one of the Maous. Killing him would be trouble for us, no matter what crimes he commited."

"Tch. Understood."

Even though she said that, Xenovia walked over to Diodora and punched him in the face. She must've wanted to let out some steam.

Everyone then gathered around Asia as Xenovia began trying to get her down.

"Hey, Asia. Kept you waiting, huh?" I said with a tired smile.

Asia just shook her head.

"Not at all. I knew you would come to save me. Thank you, Saya!"

Tears streamed down Asia's beaming face as she thanked me, but that joy was short-lived when Xenovia grunted in frustration.

"The restraints aren't coming off!"

What? I turned to Diodora who was still on all fours.

"Hey, bastard! What's going on?"

"W-Well, um, that is… it's impossible to unlock them due to a barrier."

"Details! How do we break the barrier?"

"That's impossible. The barrier was created by a Longinus called Dimension Lost. The only way to release the restraints is if Asia's ability is activated along with the device."

What the hell? Dimension Lost?

 **[It's an extremely powerful Longinus type that creates field-type barriers and can even teleport whatever is inside that field. It's Balance Breaker lets the user create any type of barrier they want with any specifications they want.]**

I see… So it's impossible to destroy it?

"Hey, what does the device do?"

"It's supposed to multiply and reverse Asia's ability."

Multiply and reverse. If Asia's healing ability is reversed then it should harm or even kill. If the effects and range are multiplied…

"Don't tell me… The Khaos Brigade's real targets are the leaders of the factions?!"

Diodora's small nod proved my assumptions right.

Shit. This is insane! They really would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

"It's… It's okay, Saya. Please, do not hold back and destroy the device along with me."

"What?" I stared at Asia in shock over her proposal. "No! I refuse to do something like that! We're all going to get out of this together! I promised to protect you, after all!"

"But at this rate, everyone will… I would rather die than to have that happen."

Asia's voice cracked as she said that. She was clearly scared.

Dammit. If only I still had Rule Breaker.

No. I can't give up that easily. There must be a way to free Asia. After all, I've been known to do the impossible.

As I was trying to think of a way to free Asia, the device began starting up.

Wait, what? No! Dammit, it's now or never!

I drew Tyrfing from my Vault and carefully took aim at Asia's restraints. The legend of the sword said that it should be able to cut through any material as easily as cloth, but… Hopefully it'll be able to cut through a god-tier barrier.

Ugh, crap. I can't steady my arms. I have to aim carefully or else I might end up cutting Asia.

"Here, allow me to help."

I looked at Yumi who had grabbed one of my arms.

"And I as well."

Xenovia did the same and took my other arm.

I smiled at the two and nodded.

"Thanks."

With Yumi's and Xenovia's help, the cursed sword flashed across the restraints, cutting them off without any problems.

As Asia was falling from the device, I quickly dropped Tyrfing back into my Vault before catching her in my arms.

Except… I overestimated my strength and Asia's sudden weight dragged me down to the ground with her in a tangled heap.

"S-Saya!"

Asia didn't seem to mind, though, since she immediately hugged me and began crying into my chest.

After she had calmed down a bit, Yumi helped me back onto my feet as everyone else began their tearful reunion with Asia.

"Asia! I'm so glad you're safe!" Rias exclaimed as she embraced Asia.

"Y-Yes! Thanks to Buchou and everyone else!"

"You know, Asia, I think we're close enough now for you to call me "Onee-chan". Can you please call me that?"

"Ah, yes! Onee-chan!"

Well, all's well that ends well, right? We were all happy to have our precious comrade safely returned to us. Hopefully, Azazel-sensei and the others were doing well.

"Come on, let's all go home now."

All of us except Asia gathered around the base of the stairs that was the entrance to the shrine.

"Hey, Asia, come on!"

"Just a second, please! I need to pray."

Asia then took a second and clasped her hands in prayer. After she was done, she nodded happily to herself before making her way down the stairs.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyo-!"

Before she could finish her sentence, a beam of light enveloped her body.

And when it disappeared…

"Eh? A-Asia..?"

She's gone.

Huh? What… Just happened..?

Even though I finally regained the strength to stand on my own, I found my knees getting weak.

Huh? Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh?

What is this?

This is a joke, right?

Y-Yeah! That must be it! Azazel-sensei or Odin must've teleported her to safety!

"Ahahaha… H-Hey, Asia. You're there, right? You can hear me, right? H-hey! Don't you think this joke has gone on long enough?"

I stumbled around, trying to find where Asia was hiding.

"Saya! That's… enough!"

Eh? Rias? When did she get behind me? Why is she hugging me? Silly. There's plenty of time to hug later. We can do this for as long as we want when we get home.

Together.

With.

Asia…

"Hey, Master. Why are you crying all of a sudden? It's alright. It's a Servant's duty to protect their precious Master. So, don't cry. Let me see that beautiful smile of yours."

Asia…

"Don't worry everyone. I won't let my twin brother do something as stupid as sacrificing himself. We've got our whole school life together left. Besides, I've always protected Minato before. This time won't be any different."

As… ia…

" _Isn't it alright? Fall into despair! Devote your life and body to me, and plunge this world into despair!"_

A… i…

"Hey, Iris. I wasn't wrong, was I? This world was flawed, so… It should be erased. Right?"

A…

"I see… This is another flawed world. Then that means I have to destroy it. Right? Hey, Iris, don't look away from me. I'm not wrong… Right?"

No. I'm the flawed one. It's because I keep creating bonds like this that I keep getting hurt.

In that case, I might as well just destroy everything. Why should I care about what happens to these people? I'm just an outsider. I should have never even existed in the first place.

Huh? Who are these people anyways? Why don't they have faces? I guess it doesn't matter, then. They're faceless nobodies so it's fine to kill them.

Hm, that one's staring at me kind of strangely so I guess its fine to kill that thing first.

Eh? Is it already dead? I only just stuck my arm through it. I can't believe that it's so fragile. What a useless toy.

Oh! Is that a twitch? It's still alive, then. How cute. It's trying to struggle. Is it hitting me with something? I can't even feel it, though. How boring.

Pop its head off and rip its body in two.

There's a warm shower. It feels kinda nice. Maybe I should stand here for a while and relax. I wonder how long ago it was it that I last took a shower. Yesterday? Or maybe a decade?

Ah, it's stopped. Oh well.

Now let's see what I should kill next. Oh dear. They're gone. Where did they go?

Come out come out, wherever you are.

There they are. They're all gathered together. This should be easy.

Huh? There are three more additions? No there's four new ones.

" _As… a…"_

For some reason, one of them looks different. I wonder why. Eh? No. They all look kind of different. That's strange.

Ugh! It hurts! Why does it hurt? Why does my head hurt?!

No. Not just my head, but my chest as well.

There's… another new one. What's going on? Are they multiplying? But if they were, they wouldn't look so different.

Eh? Did they always look that different?

" _Ge… out..!"_

"Gaa… gh… A-Asi… a…"

Is this my voice? Why do I sound so disgusting? Why do I sound like a monster?

What is this sound? Is it music?

It hurts.

Ithurtsithurtsithurstithurtsithurts.

"Uuug… aaahhh…"

" _No more!"_

Help.

Somebody, anybody, help me. I don't want to become a monster. All I wanted to be was a hero.

" _No more! I've beaten you once already! I don't need something like you in my head!"_

Ah, the red one is walking towards me.

Red?

Red, red, red, red, red…

"Ri… as..?"

Her arms… I…

" _Safety."_

It feels so familiar…

" _So warm…"_

Ah… that's right. Something like this happened before, didn't it?

Jeez. I'm so worthless. Making trouble for everyone like this…

I'm really just the worst…

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** C++

 **Endurance:** B

 **Agility:** A+

 **Magic:** C

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusabble], Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** A+ - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Hero's Ballad:** (N/A)

 **Z***ra Weave:** (N/A)

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

 **Makiage:** A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 8

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 9

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 9

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 6

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 0

 **Ravel Phenex:** Rank 6


	23. War and Peace 1

**AN:** Woo! Finally, another update, right? Sorry for the long delay. Life and stuff happened, but I'm back now. Well, I haven't exactly been inactive since I've been reading a lot and doing a lot of practice. I do have multiple other DxD stories I want to release, but I don't want to clutter up my uploads with too many chapter ones. This chapter is slightly shorter than most of the others so sorry about that. This seemed like a good place to stop and I was rushed to finish it. There's also a bit of a change in quality you'll probably notice which shows where I stopped and started again. Anyway, this long awaited chapter has finally been released so please enjoy it. Once again, thank you all for your continued support. I couldn't have done it without you all.

* * *

"Uh…"

My head's killing me. What the heck happened?

I remember… Asia…

That's right… Asia disappeared right in front of my eyes. She… It was like her very existence was erased.

Damn… Dammit!

"Ah, you've finally awoken."

Grayfia-san? I looked to the side to see the silver-haired maid sitting beside the bed I was laying on. Next to her was a young red-haired boy. Ah, I see. Millicas.

"Miss Saya! You're awake!"

Before I could react, Millicas suddenly enveloped me in a tight hug.

I smiled at the childish boy's antics. It's good to see that he can still act like a kid despite being something like a noble.

"Millicas, please refrain from acting without restraint like that. Miss Saya is still recovering," Grayfia-san scolded him while handing me a cup of water. "Here, drink."

"Thank you."

As I'm drinking, Grayfia-san takes out some kind of disc from inside her apron. There was a small flash before a holographic image of Sirzechs-san appeared.

" _Hello, Saya. It's good to see you're finally awake,"_ he greeted.

"Oh, yes. Um… But… What happened? All I remember is seeing Asia being… killed… before blacking out."

" _I see. So you were completely unaware of what you did. Very well, I'll explain to the best of my abilities."_

I listened intently as Sirzechs-san began to explain what happened after I saw Asia disappear in that light. Apparently I had completely snapped and activated Juggernaut Drive before brutally tearing apart the guy who was responsible for it. After that, in my rage, I turned on everyone else that was there.

Damn… A pang of guilt stabbed at my heart. I knew I wasn't in my right mind, but that doesn't excuse me for attacking my friends.

I returned my attention back to Nii-san's story just in time to hear the part where Valerie appeared with Asia.

"Wait, what?!"

Hearing that, I immediately salt bolt upright in bed and stared at the hologram.

Nii-san chuckled after seeing my reaction.

" _Yes. You have that Arthur to thank for that. He, Valerie, and Bikou were apparently exploring the Dimensional Gap when Asia appeared in front of them."_

I see… Thank goodness. A breath of relief escaped my lips. So Asia is safe. Ah, what the heck? I brought my hands up to my face to wipe away the tears that were streaming down uncontrollably.

Nii-san gave me a few moments to calm down before continuing his story.

" _Not long after Valerie arrived, Miss Irina Shidou also arrived with a way to break you out of your Juggernaut Drive. That was the theme song you recorded."_

So… That embarrassing song was used to…

"EEEHHH?! W-Wait! Does that mean… e-everybody heard that..?"

" _Well… Yes. After the incident, my little Rias told me how proud of you she was. It seems she's also requested for us to make another one."_

Ugh… To be honest… I really wasn't proud of that. It was fun during the recording, but after I watched it, I felt I should not let anyone close to me to see that.

" _Anyways, back on topic. Saya. Please, do your very best not to activate your Juggernaut Drive anymore. It takes an immense toll on the user's life force. I don't think I need to tell you what that means. Do I?"_

"Yeah, I understand. Ddraig explained it to me before."

Nii-san continued to explain the aftermath of the terrorist attack. After their commander died at my hands, the rest of the Old Maou faction crumbled. They either surrendered themselves or went into hiding. The Astaroth house was then stripped of their status as high-ranking Devils and Maou, Ajuka Beelzebub was asked to take responsibility for the incident for being affiliated with the Astaroth house. Luckily though, Nii-san and the other Maous went to defend him.

As an afterthought, Nii-san told me about Ophis' appearance and her goal to reclaim the Dimensional Gap. Even though he doubts her true objective, I can believe it. After all, I can kind of relate to having your home being taken over.

This Great Red… Why would he force Ophis out of her home? It's strange… There's definitely not enough information on our end to take action.

" _Anywyas, it seems the Rating Games will have to be restarted with extra security. Except, there is going to be one more match. A match between two of the strongest young prodigies."_

"You mean, Rias and that Sairaorg guy, right?

" _Good deduction skills. That's right. There is also a matchup with Sitri and Agares that is highly anticipated."_

"So it'd be a case of a matchup of Powerhouses and a matchup of Tacticians."

" _That's right. Well, in any case, there are still a few more kinks to work out. In the meantime, we've asked everyone to wait until we've decided."_

Ah, I see…

"Wait. Where is everyone?"

I noticed before that there was a strange lack of tearful reunions. Normally, after something like this, I'd be surrounded by the others.

" _Oh, yes, that's right. Today is the day of the school festival. That's where I'm calling from. Didn't you notice?"_

What? I mean. I noticed that he was wearing commoner clothes, but I can't see a thing around him!

"Th-This isn't good! I can't miss something like this!"

Nii-san smiled as he watched me panic. _"Don't worry. Grayfia will teleport you to the school. Just get changed. I'll see you there."_

After saying that, the hologram of Nii-san winked out.

Alright! I'm going to get there in time for the three-legged race!

Just as I arrived in our clubroom, I heard the announcement that the three-legged race for the second years was about to start.

"Saya. You've arrived just in time."

I turned at the sound of Rias' voice.

"Eh? Were you waiting for me?"

Rias stepped towards me and took me into her arms for a brief moment before letting go. "As much as I want to hold you right now, somebody else is waiting for you. Don't be late, alright?"

I nodded. "Of course!"

Bidding farewell to Rias, I ran through the halls of the old school building and out to the school grounds.

There! I can see her from here.

I picked up my speed and sprinted the rest of the distance.

"Asiaaaa!" I called out as I neared her.

Hearing my voice, she immediately turned towards me, her face instantly brightening.

"Saya!"

She looked like she was about to cry when I reached her. Honestly, seeing her okay and standing in front of me like this made me want to start crying too, but unfortunately we had a race to complete.

I nodded at Miyama-san from our class who had partnered with Asia in my place.

She smiled at me knowingly before detaching herself from Asia.

Once she had finished, I stepped up beside Asia and began tying the rope around our legs.

"Saya, you're here!" Asia exclaimed as if she couldn't believe it.

"Of course. The heroine always arrives at the last moment to save the day, after all!"

Asia giggled as I smirked.

Standing up, I wrapped one of my arms around her hips as she wrapped hers around mine.

I glanced to the side at the teacher holding the starting gun to see that he was already holding it in the air.

*bang!*

"Let's do this, Asia! Together!"

"Right!"

Just like all the times we practiced, we moved fluidly in synchronization. It was like Asia and I had become one. Even our hearts seemed like they were beating to the same rhythm.

The two of us easily pulled ahead of the other contestants as our friends and comrades cheered us on from the sidelines.

I can feel it. All of their support.

Rias and Akeno-senpai, my caring senpais.

Yumi and Xenovia, my precious friends.

Koneko-chan and Gasper, my cute kouhais.

Azazel-sensei, my lazy mentor.

My parents who took care of me.

And most of all…

"Asia. I'm sorry for making you worry like that. From now on, I'll devote my entire life to protecting you and making sure that you're safe."

"Saya… Yes! I won't ever leave your side again!"

" _Finish! The winners of the three-legged race are Hyoudou Saya, and Asia Argento of class 2-B!"_

The split remains of the white tape flutter past us as we slow from our run to a stop.

Grinning, I hugged Asia awkwardly with the rope still attaching us. I didn't care that taking her weight onto my body pushed me over the edge and caused me to fall back onto the track. All that mattered was that Asia was safe and sound.

I buried my face into Asia's neck as I let my tears flow freely from my eyes. This time, it was Asia's turn to comfort me as she silently stroked my head.

After I finally calmed down, we detached ourselves from each other and I had to lean on Asia for support as we stood up.

Looks like I kind of overdid it.

"Saya, are you alright?"

Asia looked up at me, worried.

Smiling, I nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. I just woke up from a coma not too long ago, after all."

"In that case, why don't you take Saya back behind the gym and heal her up?" Rias suggested as she appeared next to us.

"Ah, yes! I'll do that!"

As we walked past Rias to make our way to our destination, she leaned down towards Asia and whispered something into her ear which made her immediately turn red.

Huh, I wonder what she said.

We slowly walked around the side of the building to the back where there was nobody else around and Asia began washing me with her healing magic.

I sighed in contentment as I relaxed into Asia's touch.

Closing my eyes, I let Asia work her magic.

Minutes passed before the healing light suddenly stopped.

"Hm? Asia?"

I cracked one of my eyes open just in time to see Asia's face slowly approaching mine.

A kiss.

Asia's lips pressed into mine for a brief moment before she pulled away.

Smiling in embarrassment, Asia nuzzled into my chest and breathed.

"I love you. I love you so, so, much. That's why, I'll always be with you, Saya."

"Asia… Yeah, I love you too. Thank you."

Just like that, we stayed connected together for as long as we could before it was time to go.

* * *

"Well, well, things seem quite lively here."

I sighed as I purchased the last drink from the vending machine before turning around to face the familiar voice.

"Valerie. Why do you always sneak up on me when I'm getting drinks?"

Seriously. Every single time I've went to this specific vending machine, Valerie appears out of nowhere to talk to me.

Smirking, Valerie placed a hand on her hip. "Is that all you have to say to me after what I did for you? I didn't expect you to be groveling at my feet, but I did expect some gratitude."

"O-Oh, right," I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck. "I guess I should say thank you for that."

"Thank you very much for saving Asia!" I said while bowing deeply.

I stayed like that for a good while before coming back up to meet Valerie's eyes. During the time I was bent over it looks like she came a few steps closer.

"Now that's better," she said with a nod. "Although… I still feel like something's missing. Did Asia's life only mean that much to you? Can't you think of a better way to thank me?"

"Well… I can't think of anything else you would like except a duel."

Valerie giggled at that. "Yes. You aren't wrong about that. However, there still is something else I want from you."

After saying that, the Valerie quickly closed the gap between us with a couple of long strides before forcefully grabbing my chin and kissing me.

Wh-What the hell?!

When I tried to open my mouth to protest the sudden attack, Valerie took advantage of the opening and snuck her tongue into my mouth.

Instinctively, I tried putting my hands on her shoulders to try to push her away while trying to back off at the same time. As if reading my mind, Valerie easily grabbed my wrists and followed my steps before pinning me against the vending machines.

O-Oh no… My mind's going blank… Why is she so good at this?

When she finally broke off, I gasped for a breath of fresh air and stared indignantly at Valerie's triumphant smirk.

"What the hell was that for, Valerie?! Aren't we rivals? Why'd you just-?!"

Before I could say anything else, Valerie placed a finger over my lips and shushed me.

"It's because we're rivals that I did that. After all, fighting isn't the only way we can see who's on top."

This girl is…

"Ah, whatever! Did you come here just to molest me or did you come here for something else?"

"Saya, I'm hurt. Can't I come see how my beloved rival is doing whenever I want?"

"Stop making it sound like we're lovers."

"Oh? But I'm sure you would enjoy that."

I sighed. She's not wrong about that. She's ridiculously attractive after all.

"Anyways," Valerie said, suddenly turning serious. "You're right. I did come here to talk. By now, I'm sure you are aware of Ophis' goal. Correct?"

Nodding, I answered. "She wants to take back the Dimensional Gap from Great Red."

"Exactly. And, do you know what my goal is?"

"You have a certain something you want to defeat, no matter what."

It was then that a certain realization dawned on me.

"You… want to defeat the Great Red, don't you?"

Valerie smiled.

"As expected. You understand how I think. My dream is to become the strongest dragon in history, and in order to do that, I must defeat that monster known as Great Red. Tell me, Saya. What is your dream? Do you wish to defeat me as your fated rival? Or is it something larger than that?" Valerie's eyes sparkled with a childish excitement as she described to me her goals.

"Sorry, but no. I don't have any goals or dreams as grand as you," I answered with a shake of my head. "I just want to keep my friends and loved ones safe while protecting this world. I don't care about recognition or power or anything like that."

My rival looked somewhat disappointed by my answer.

"I see. That's a shame."

"What makes you think you're not included in the list of people I want to protect?"

"Hm?" Valerie looked at me with a confused tilt of her head.

"As rivals, our goals should be to surpass each other. That's why, if you're ever in danger, I'll be there to help you out. And if you do end up dying, I'll go after you into the afterlife and drag you back here. After all, only I'm allowed to beat you, Val."

The girl was stunned for a moment by my answer before suddenly breaking out in laughter.

"Saya! You really are worthy to be called my rival. Before meeting you, I would have brushed that answer off as weakness, but after watching you, I've come to realize that is your own brand of strength. Unlike me, you draw your strength from your bonds with others. I'd like to see where that strength takes you."

Still chuckling, Valerie turned her back on me and began walking away.

"I'll see you later, my dearest rival."

I kept my eyes on her as she made her way towards the crowd and sighed when she finally disappeared into the mass of people.

Sometimes, I wonder if she's just bored and has nothing else to do on days like these.

Well no use thinking about it now. I should hurry up and head back to the others.

* * *

" _Your end has finally come, Dragon Empress! Now that I have you trapped in this dome made of Unobtanite, killing you will be easy as baking cupcakes!"_

This is ridiculous. Who wrote these stupid, cheesy lines?

" _Ugh! H-How careless of me, to fall for such an obvious trap…"_

I mean, this is supposed to be a kid's superhero show but…

" _Goooo, Dragon Empress! Don't give in! You can do it!"_

Stop! Stoooop! I don't want to see my face in this thing. Goodness, this is way too embarrassing!

Despite that… At least everyone else seems to be enjoying the show…

Rias, Asia, Koneko-chan, and Irina were totally hooked in as they sat right in front of the movie theater-like screen in our rec room.

I sighed as the villain began doing his routine of explaining his dastardly plans of world domination to our unfortunate heroine.

The entire plot was as forgettable as every other show of the same kind, but at least they did something cool with the gimmicks and the twists.

For example, if there's ever an oversized monster to fight, instead of forming a mech to counteract it as per the usual standards, the heroine gathers bond energy from the people who believe in her to grow in size to match the monster.

Well, even if I'm not really into it, it's apparently a smash hit in the Underworld with all the children watching it religiously. It's even managed to capture a lot of the parents. Not only that, as soon as the show was debuted, they released a bunch of merch for it like figures, stuffed toys, and even Boosted Gear replicas.

In fact, the producers even sent complimentary gifts to me. I don't really know what to do with them, though…

What worries me the most is the "massager" shaped like the Boosted Gear they sent as an exclusive, limited time item.

Turning my attention back to the show, I saw that the heroine had just unleashed her signature move and defeated the villain.

"Fuaaa! That was great! I used to love these kinds of shows as a kid, too!" Irina said with a happy smile. "It's even better that my best friend is the main character in the show."

"Wouldn't you be a lot happier if you were the heroine, Irina? After all, you always used to play the hero role when we used to play pretend," I commented while idly stroking Koneko-chan's head. "And you do also realize that isn't me that's acting, right?"

Of course it wasn't me. I don't exactly have the time in my life to go around acting. I have a life as a student and a servant to live. Dealing with the chaos that happens around the house is already a good enough full-time job.

As the end credits of the episode began showing, Rias and Asia started talking animatedly with each other about their favorite parts of the episode. Well… despite my embarrassment, I'm also kind of glad that I can make so many people happy just by having my face CG'ed onto the actor.

I also heard that they're going to be airing dramas with my face as the protagonist to appeal to the housewives and older audiences.

Ah… Soon enough, I'm not going to be able to walk one meter in the Underworld before getting mobbed by people.

As I was mulling over my predicament, I welt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind.

A sudden, hot breath against my ear caused me to involuntarily shiver while a hand began slowly running along the length of my tail.

"Ufufufu... Saya…"

"A-Akeno-senpai?!"

I let yelped as she began actively stroking my tail in an extremely erotic fashion.

"Now that we have some time with all the excitement over, you haven't forgotten about your promise, did you?"

Oh…

"Um… Well… That is…"

I looked down at Koneko-chan that was sitting in my lap for help. You got me into this situation so you should at least help me get out!

"Nya?"

Instead of taking responsibility for her actions, the Nekomata feigned innocence with a cute little tilt of her head.

Gulping, I resigned myself to whatever Akeno-senpai had in mind.

"Are you free this Sunday?" Akeno-senpai suddenly asked.

"Huh? Um, yeah, I think so."

"Good! We're going to be going on a date, then!" She said happily while clapping her hands together. "Ufufufu, a full day with Saya-chan, all to myself! Ufufufu."

I'm just going to ignore that creepy laugh.

A date? Well, if it's just a date, then I don't think I have anything to worry about. I was worried that she would've made me do some kind of S&M exhibitionism play.

My newfound relief was short lived, however, as it was punctuated by several burning stares by a large sample of the female population in this room.

Now I have a feeling that date may not be as easy or fun as I initially thought.

* * *

Man, Akeno-senpai's tea really is the greatest.

All the members of the ORC were gathered in the club room per usual as we enjoyed some R&R after school. The only exception to our attendance was Azazel-sensei who was off dealing with some kind of political business in the Underworld.

"Ah, come to think of it, it's nearly time for the school trip for you second years, isn't it?" Rias suddenly said.

"That's right. Did you and Akeno-senpai also go to Kyoto last year?"

"Yes," Akeno-senpai answered with a nod. "We managed to visit various landmarks like that Ginkaku-ji and the Kiyomizu-dera."

Rias gave a nostalgic smile as she began recounting her trip.

"It was a lot of fun. I managed to purchase a lot of souvenirs and take a lot of pictures. The only problem was getting around to all the attractions. Make sure you make up a plan for which places to go to before you get there or else you won't have enough time."

"Do you remember, Buchou? You wanted to visit all the landmarks, but we ended up missing quite a few of them because you didn't think about the travel time. In the end, she threw a tantrum."

Rias blushed and gave a huff.

"I told you not to mention that! I was really looking forward to the Kyoto trip, you know…"

"Ahaha…"

Rias sure can be cute during times like these. It's really nice seeing her act a bit childish compared to her usual self.

"Ahem," Rias cleared her throat and tried to change the topic. "Anyways, we still have to discuss what our club will be doing for the school festival."

"You guys did a haunted house last year, right? So it'd be good if we went with something different."

Yeah… That haunted house turned out to be an extremely popular attraction. Probably because they used actual Youkai as the "props". After the school festival was over, I managed to see some of the wandering around the school grounds and I had to shoo the off before they caused more trouble. Apparently they were unemployed so this was a good opportunity for them.

As we all brainstormed for new ideas, our phones all rang simultaneously. Looks like we've got some work to take care of first.

Rias took a quick glance at her phone and read the details of our mission before giving us all a nod.

One quick teleport later, we were standing in front of an abandoned factory near the edge of town.

Again with this setting? Why do the bad guys always use these rundown places? Why can't it be a cool showdown in a skyscraper that we have to fight our way up through the floors?

"Hmph. You're early."

As we stepped into the dingy factory, a cloaked man stepped forward from the darkness, followed by a multitude of other humanoid figures.

So it's these shadow monsters again. Lately we've had to deal with a lot of these things attacking the town. They weren't really that strong, but they're seemingly endless numbers proved to be a hassle.

"The Khaos Brigade… Haven't you learned your lesson already? You can't win against us," Rias said with confidence as she prepared for a fight.

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. We shall see, won't we?"

With a snap of his fingers, two more people joined the cloaked man. These two weren't shadow monsters.

Sighing, I rolled my shoulders and easily entered my Balance Breaker form. If these guys were the same as all the other agents we've taken down, then things will probably be finished pretty quickly.

Yumi and Xenovia moved to either side of me and drew their own respective weapons while Irina, Koneko-chan, and Gasper stood close behind us. Meanwhile, Rias, Akeno-senpai and Asia took up the rear and prepared their magic.

While carefully eyeing us, the man in the cloak summoned a white flame in his hand.

"Another Sacred Gear possessor," Yumi commented.

After our last few victories, they seem to have gotten desperate and started sending people with Sacred Gears to attack us as well. It's problematic, but we've managed so far.

Hm… Since we're in an enclosed space, I'll have to be careful not to smash everything to pieces.

Well now, let's get this party started, shall we?

Activating my boosters, I flew straight towards our enemies. The three enemy commanders immediately dodged out of the way, causing me to instead to barrel straight through the mass of shadows.

Good. That's most of the grunts taken down. Now we can focus on those three.

Doing a flip mid-flight, I reoriented myself so that I was facing the cloaked man before bursting forward towards him.

Meanwhile, both Yumi and Xenovia had engaged their own opponents. Yumi was chasing after the man wearing sunglasses while Xenovia was cutting down homing arrows from the man wearing a costume from the Three Kingdoms era.

My opponent threw out his hands and the white flame in his hand whipped out towards me at blinding speed.

I raised my arm to block the attack, only to realize my mistake. The flame wrapped itself around my arm and pulled me off balance. At the same time, I caught a shiny object protruding out my shadow before it came shooting out towards me.

When I took a closer look, I noticed that it was one of Yumi's swords.

Pirouetting in the air, I allowed the sword to fly past me before reaching out with my free hand and grabbing it. Using the rest of my momentum, I chucked the sword at the flame user who released his grip on me in order to dodge it.

It looks like that sunglasses guy can control shadows. He must be the one creating those shadow monsters as well.

All that training in battlefield awareness sure paid off. Even without any verbal communication between us, we all moved in sync. Whenever Rias or Akeno-senpai would throw out a magic attack, the attackers on the vanguard would quickly move out of the way before throwing ourselves back into the fray, and if one of us got too damaged, we would back off and let either Irina or Koneko-chan switch in as Asia healed us.

This was the kind of teamwork that is to be expected during Rating Games, and we had begun to apply it to our battles outside as well.

As the battle dragged on, I saw that my opponent was getting impatient. He gathered his white fire in both of his hands before hurling a burning ball of death towards me. Once again, I saw from the corner of my eye that the shadows around me were warping to spit more of Yumi's swords at me. This could be a chance.

I flew backwards, away from the fireball and towards the shadows just as the tips of the swords began to poke through. Reaching out I grabbed a pair of blades and forced them out. I waited until the last second before the fireball reached me before dashing away.

Now I'll just leave taking care of that attack up to Yumi. I'm sure she'll think of a good way to use it.

I made a beeline towards the now wide open flame user while casually deflecting a green arrow of light that flew out of nowhere with a thrown sword before cutting through the cloaked man in a single stroke.

Simultaneously, there was an explosion as Yumi capitalized on the fireball the shadow user absorbed by cutting it in half while it was still inside the shadow.

"Sh-Shit!" The man wearing the Chinese armor shouted in panic as Xenovia closed the distance between them and slammed the hilt of her sword into his head.

And finally, a fourth and final combatant was revealed when the shadow hiding his presence receded. Before he could react, he was struck by a combined magic attack from Rias and Akeno-senpai and was knocked unconscious.

For moment, we all stayed on alert to see if there were any more attackers in hiding. When Koneko-chan gave an okay, we all simultaneously relaxed and I found myself breathing a sigh of relief. Despite it being a fairly easy fight, it's really exhausting to be on such high alert during a battle. If I wasn't expecting surprise attacks coming from out of nowhere, that green arrow coming out of nowhere would've thrown me off my rhythm.

"Good work, everyone," Rias praised as Gasper and Koneko-chan went to restrain the unconscious terrorists.

"Guh… Gah…"

A guttural moaning drew our attention the shadow user that was beginning to get up, except…

What the hell? It looks like the shadows are gathering to him and swarming his body.

"Graaaaaaah!"

There was an explosion of magic that sent out constant pulses as the shadow user began clutching at his head and screaming in pain.

Then just as his screams were dying down, an unfamiliar magic circle appeared beneath his feet and whisked him away, replacing the banshee-like howling with the eerie silence of the abandoned factory.

"What the heck… just happened?" I asked to nobody in particular.

As I expected, nobody answered my question and instead and also voiced their confusions.

Sighing, I disengaged Balance Breaker before running a hand through my hair. Our enemies are starting to learn our weaknesses and it's making things a little tougher on us. Luckily, we've trained to adapt to situations like this. It makes me wonder how long it'll take for the higher ups to sort out this mess and finally get rid of the rest of the Khaos Brigade. This Hero Faction is really grinding on my nerves with how frequently they've been attacking.

As Rias and Akeno transported them away to the Underworld for interrogation, Irina began mumbling to herself with a frown plastered on her face.

"Hm? What's up Irina?"

She glanced at me at my question and shook her head. "It's nothing really… but I get the feeling that something's off about these attacks."

"What do you mean, Irina?"

Done with her duties, Rias approached us and joined in on the conversation.

"It's just that, if the Khaos Brigade really is trying to defeat us, wouldn't they be sending scarier guys like that Arthur guy? Why are they just attacking us with these small fries? And also, if they were just scouting our abilities out, that would only last for a few battles, five at the most, but they haven't changed anything at all. Those made me think that they might have a different motive."

"A different motive… Ah! Could it be..?" It looks like Rias came to some sort of conclusion.

"That shadow user. It felt like he changed, became stronger… so that's it."

At Koneko-chan's comment, I started to put the pieces together.

"They didn't want to gather data on us or defeat us… They wanted to make their own forces stronger. They wanted to let their fighters achieve Balance Breaker," Yumi said

Rias nodded with a serious look. "That's right. Fighting against us would help bring out their Balance Breaker. With our highly destructive powers, it would be an extremely stressful situation."

"But their methods are also so wrong!" Irina suddenly spoke up. "They're just sending out their allies to die! It's like they don't care who makes it back our not. What matters to them is if their experiment succeeds or not!"

Sacrifice for the greater good, huh? Except in this case, I can't think of any good those terrorists are planning.

In the end, we wrapped everything up there and went on our way back home.

* * *

Akeno-senpai was in an extremely good mood by the time we walked through the door to our renovated and shared house. So good, in fact, that she ended up skipping to her room while humming and saying that she was turning in early for the night.

It was pretty obvious what she was so happy about and that fact showed when I felt multiple pairs of eyes burning into my back.

Jealousy is a dangerous thing. Luckily, I won't have to worry about sleeping with one eye open. Or at least, I hope not. I've dealt with more than enough yanderes in my lifetime.

After a few exchanged goodnights, we all decided to go to bed early tonight. Everyone except for Koneko-chan went to their own rooms as she secretly joined me in mine.

Once we were in I locked the door and made sure the magical wards that blocks off teleportation were active.

Ever since I woke up from my little coma, Koneko-chan's been coming to my room and relieving me every night. Even though we've done it so many times now, she's still nervous and awkward about it.

Seeing her all flustered and blushing like that kind of makes me want to tease her.

With my back turned towards Koneko-chan, who was standing awkwardly by the door, I began slowly and methodically stripping out of my uniform.

I started from the top with the ribbon, taking one of the strands and pulling it off from its position on my collarbone before slipping the shoulder cape off. As I let the two pieces of cloth flutter gently to the floor, I continued by removing the corset, my fingers lazily tracing their way down the buttons. A second later, the corset falls to the ground, joining the other two pieces as I got started on my blouse. I took my time with this one, making each of my movements as exaggerated as possible. When I got halfway, I let my shoulders slide out of the fabric, baring a little of my skin as a treat.

Taking a quick glance backwards to gauge Koneko-chan's reactions, I noticed that she had moved a few steps forward and was completely entranced.

Holding back a smile, I slowly unbuttoned the rest of my shirt, relishing each moment as I felt the fabric slip off my back. Finished with my top, I moved onto my skirt. Slowly and deliberately, I swayed my hips to let my shy audience catch small glimpses of my panties.

She was so close to me now that I could almost feel her breath brushing against my back.

Deciding that she had enough teasing, I took off my skirt in one flourish, leaving me standing in nothing but my underwear and socks.

Soon enough, the socks were gone and joined the small pile of clothes around my feet and I finally turned around to face Koneko-chan.

Her face was flushed red and she was having a hard time keeping eye contact as her eyes roamed around my body, taking it all in.

I had to suppress a giggle at her reactions. She really was too cute. You'd think this was her first time seeing me near naked. Then again, this was the first time I did a little strip tease for her.

"Well, Koneko-chan, let's get started, shall we?"

Snapped out of her stupor from my voice, the Nekoshou quickly nodded and hurriedly took off her own clothes,

Once she was ready, I gently took her by her hand and led her to the oversized bed and made myself comfortable.

"Okay. Ready when you are," I said with a small smile.

Hesitating slightly, Koneko-chan crawled up to me, her tail swishing back and forth in the away, and placed her hands on my body.

I sighed and closed my eyes as I felt her gentle caresses across my stomach and back, her hands never straying to my breasts or flower.

"You know, Koneko-chan, I said I don't mind you touching me wherever you want. Don't you need to in order to help my Chi flow better?"

"Um… But..."

"It's fine," I said while opening my eyes and grasping her hands. "I know it's embarrassing, but this is to help me, right? Go on. You have my permission."

Koneko-chan's face turned even redder as she gulped and nodded.

Letting go of her hands, I sat back and relaxed.

Ah… I can just feel all the stress and exhaustion leave my body. At the same time, though, I can't help but feel a little excited as Koneko-chan massaged my body.

"One hundred years, huh…" I muttered absentmindedly.

"Yes… But now, I'm sure that at least a year has been restored."

This Juggernaut Drive ability really is dangerous. I thought that it would only be a small drain on my life force each time I used it. Like, a couple of years per use, but it turns out I lost more than ninety percent of my life as a Devil from it. So now my lifespan has been reduced from a Devil's one to a normal human one. I don't really have any qualms of living to one hundred, but that means I'll be leaving everyone else when they've barely just reached their prime. Not only that, but using my stolen Divide ability also shortens my life.

That's why…

"Koneko-chan, thanks. I really appreciate this."

I smiled warmly at the girl concentrating one her task, seemingly forgotten all about the sexual tension that hung in the air before.

She shook her head lightly and returned my smile back. "That's because everyone would be sad if Senpai died. And… I want to be useful to you too, only if it's a little bit. That's why I'll do my best so we can all live together!"

"Thank you, Koneko-chan."

I gently pat her head and scratched behind her ears, causing her to mewl in response.

"U-Um… Senpai…"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"There's another way to… restore your life force… a faster, and… better way…"

Koneko-chan's hands have stopped moving as she stared directly down at the blanket, her face burning red.

"There is? What is it?"

Although, I kind of already have a feeling of what it is from how she's acting.

"It's called… B-Bouchuujustsu…"

Okay, now that's a name I haven't heard of. If this was some shady man in a massage parlor telling me about this I'd have my doubts, but this is Koneko-chan so I should believe her. Right?

"I don't think I've ever heard of that. What is it?"

"I-It's when… a one shares their own chi with another…"

Oh for the love of all that is unholy! She's too cute when she's shy and embarrassed like this! Maybe I should tease her some more, since I can already guess where this is going. After all, I've come into a similar situation to this before.

"Hm?" Hugging the smaller girl to my body, I took her chin with one of my hands and turned her head upwards so she was looking at me. Her eyes were glistening and darting around, trying her best not to make eye contact.

In my best husky voice, I said, "You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that…"

My free hand traced a line down her smooth arm. The Nekoshou shuddered as she struggled to reply.

"I-It's when… um… th-the giver and the recipient… they… um… b-become one…"

"Become one?" Smirking, I brought my mouth right next to one of her twitching ears and whispered, "I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific…"

Koneko-chan turned even redder, reaching a shade I didn't think was possible as she fidgeted.

"S-S-S-Sex! I-It's sex!" She squeaked.

Ah..! So cute! I just want to tease her more and more!

"My, my, Koneko-chan. So lewd… I didn't think you would say something so dirty out loud."

"B-But Senpai made me…"

"Oh? So are you blaming me, now? That's no good. Naughty girls like you should be… Pu-ni-shed~."

Koneko-chan's breaths were coming in short huffs now. Maybe she's a masochist? She sure seems to be enjoying this, after all.

Taking a deep breath, I licked the shell of her ear, causing the girl to yelp in surprise and hurriedly cover her mouth.

I continued my assault licking and nibbling her ear lightly. My hand reached behind her and grabbed her stiff tail and began stroking it while occasionally giving it soft squeezes along the appendage.

The combined sensation proved too much for her as even through her hands, I could hear her panting and moaning.

When I broke away, Koneko-chan let out a soft mewl of relief mixed with a little disappointment. Taking advantage of her defenselessness, I kissed her.

The feeling of her soft, small lips pressing into mine almost sent me into a frenzy, but I kept myself in check. I have to be gentle for her first time after all.

My free hand reached around behind her head and pulled her closer as I continued to work her tail.

Her moans caused small vibrations through her lips that tickled my own, sending small shivers of pleasure down my spine.

Koneko-chan's lips parted as my hand stroking her tail hit a particularly sensitive cluster of nerves. Not missing a beat, I quickly slipped my tongue into her mouth.

She gave a muffled cry of surprise at the sudden intrusion before beginning to melt into my touches.

Feeling my lungs straining for air, I broke away from the kiss, leaving a thin trail of saliva between us.

By now I was feeling my lust begin to overtake my rational thinking. I wanted nothing more than to with the girl in front of me right now and it seems like Koneko-chan was no different. Her eyes were glazed as she panted from arousal like a cat in heat.

"Can we, Koneko-chan?"

I know I didn't have to ask, but it felt right. I wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

She nodded. "Yes. I've… wanted to do this with Senpai too."

"Then…"

With her consent, my hands roamed to her flat chest and down to-

"Saya… What are you doing?"

"Indeed. I wonder what it is you are doing, Saya-chan…"

Eh? Those voices.

N-No way, but I locked the door!

I gulped and turned to face the direction where the sickly sweet voices came from.

There they were, standing at the door with their arms crossed, a dark aura emanating from every pore of their body.

"B-Buchou! A-Akeno-senpai!"

Koneko-chan quickly scrambled out of bed and hurried to cover herself up.

"I wonder… Just what were you two doing in here?" Rias smiled darkly as she tapped her foot against the ground.

"Ara, weren't they just going through their healing process? But then again… It seemed much more intimate than that…" Akeno-senpai followed up with the same evil smile on her face.

"Koneko, you two are finished, right?"

Even though it was phrased as a question, it sounded more like an order.

Nodding frantically, Koneko-chan darted out of the room in her undergarments, leaving her discarded uniform behind and me behind to deal with two very angry women.

"U-Um… Hey, Buchou, Akeno-senpai… L-Let's just talk this out, okay?"

"Talk? I had something different in mind," Rias said with a predatory glint in her eyes as she stalked towards me.

"What a coincidence. I think I have the same idea, Buchou," Akeno-senpai added as she sashayed towards me along with Rias.

I gulped and scrambled around the bed, looking for a way out of this dire situation to no avail. To two Onee-samas were closing in on me like a pair of hungry wolves on a defenseless bunny. It didn't help that my lust-addled mind was dreaming up of fantasies involving the two right now.

Rias shot a competitive look at Akeno-senpai.

"I'll prove to you that Saya only needs me with this."

Akeno-senpai returned the look with an unfazed smile.

"Ara, I'll show you that Saya would rather be with me, Buchou."

After their little pre-match talk, they turned their gazes to me.

By now I had already backed up against the headboard of the bed leaving me no more room to escape as they slowly began advancing towards me again.

The only thing I could do now was hope for mercy. One of them, I could handle and turn the tables on, but the both of them..?

Sighing, I resigned myself to my fate and prayed that I didn't wake up feeling too sore in the morning.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** B+

 **Endurance:** B+

 **Agility:** A++

 **Magic:** C+

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow [Unusable], Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais [Unusable], Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos [Unusable], Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn [Unusabble], Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung [Unusable], Valmanway [Unusable], Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** A+ - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Balance Breaker – Blade Dancer:** EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that combines it with the Dimensional Vault to summon blades.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Hero's Ballad:** (N/A)

 **Z***ra Weave:** (N/A)

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

 **Makiage:** A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.

* * *

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 9

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 7

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 0

 **Ravel Phenex:** Rank 6

 **Irina Shidou:** Rank 5


	24. War and Peace 2

**AN:** Phew! It's been a while, huh? Well, I have been really busy replaying some games and rewatching some anime so I can prepare for a super special DRE release that's coming soon. If you're interested in whatever that may be, then make sure to keep an eye on my releases. That's all the information you're going to get about that. If you want to know more then you'll just have to read it whenever it comes out. Anyways, sorry for the long wait, but DRE should be back with this new chapter.

* * *

Yawning, I stretched lazily under the morning sun as I waited in my casual clothes. As nice as wearing a uniform is, I still prefer the freedom of wearing whatever I want. Especially on an important day like this.

My first date with Akeno-senpai…

I just hope she doesn't try anything drastic today after what happened yesterday night. Luckily, I managed to slip away from Rias and Akeno-senpai when they were arguing with each other over who was the better one for me. In the end I had to stay in Yumi's room to avoid any other confrontations.

Maybe I should check myself over again to make sure my outfit is still good. Turning to a nearby store, I used the window's reflection to see if I needed to fix anything.

Let's see… Ponytail and ribbon, check. Bangs, check. Makeup, check.

Hm, still don't know if I should've gone for an androgynous style instead of such a cute style. Too be honest, it is a bit too frilly for my likings. A frilled, sleeveless blouse and a pleated skirt. I wonder what Akeno-senpai's gonna show up in. She said she had been saving an outfit for our first date which made me kind of curious. She then kicked me out of my own house so she could get ready. I still don't see why we couldn't have come here together.

I yawned again and checked my watch. A few minutes until our appointed meeting time.

"Saya!"

Hm?

Glancing up at the sound of someone calling my name, I saw Akeno-senpai walking towards me wearing a frilled, purple one-piece dress with a cute ribbon adorning her chest. Her hair was also down and she had parted her bangs slightly with a hair clip that matched her clothes. My gaze continued travelling downwards and I noticed she was wearing stockings and knee-high boots.

All-in-all, out of one hundred, I'd say she's sitting at a two thousand right now.

"Like what you see?"

Jumping at the sound of Akeno-senpai's voice, I finally noticed that I was shamelessly checking her out.

"Y-Yes! Um, well, you look very cute."

Great. Good going, Saya. That's the only thing you could say to what could be the most beautiful woman on the planet right now?

Well, at least my compliment seems to have had some effect. Akeno-senpai's cheeks were now tinted with a slight shade of red I've rarely seen on her before. It honestly made her look even more adorable.

"Anyways, Akeno-senpai, shall we get going?"

Grabbing her hand, I began to walk towards the first destination of our date before a slight pull stopped me in my tracks.

"Um…" Akeno-senpai mumbled, acting uncharacteristically shy. "Even if it's just for today… Can you call me Akeno?"

I swear my heart skipped a beat just now. There's no way my senpai can be this cute!

"Of course, Akeno!"

When I said that Akeno's eyes immediately lit up with a childlike glee that I never expected to see from her.

This is going to be a wonderful day. I just know it.

Ah. A familiar chill just ran down my back. A very, very, familiar chill. One that I had almost gotten used to after how many times felt it.

Sure enough, when I glanced behind me, I saw a tuft of red hair topped by brown hat poking out from behind the pole of a streetlight. Along with our red stalker, there was a blonde one wearing glasses, a white one wearing a luchador mask, a blue one wearing a plastic hero mask, one wearing a paper bag over their head, and a Yumi, standing in the open while waving apologetically.

I resisted the urge to sigh and instead shook my head.

Akeno giggled.

"It seems we have a few uninvited guests," she said with an innocent smile while taking my hand. "Well, Saya, shall we go?"

"Right."

Hand in hand, the two of us began our day together along with an entourage off the strangest detectives.

Our first stop was the shopping district where we entered a few off the stores to look at and try on clothes. Every time Akeno would try something on, she would put on a little show twirling, giggling, and asking if it looked good on here, and every single time I would answer yes. After all, how could I say no to her radiant smile? The Akeno now and the Akeno I'm used to are so different from each other. Her usual "Onee-sama" attitude had changed into a more cheerful, open and youthful disposition.

Cute, so cute, too cute. She is honestly too cute right now.

After purchasing a few outfits and storing them away into my handy-dandy Vault, we went on our way and got a couple of crepes before finding a nearby bench to sit down on and enjoy them.

As I was eating my chocolate crepe, I heard a giggle come from Akeno. I don't think I did anything funny or anything.

"Hm? What's up, Akeno?"

"Silly," she said teasingly as she poked me on my nose. "You have a bit of cream on your cheek."

Seriously?

I took out a napkin and reached up towards my face to try to wipe it off, but before I could, Akeno quickly darted in and licked the bit of cream off of my face.

"Mm, delicious."

Ahaha… I think I can feel my life shortening just from the amount of burning stares I'm getting…

Finishing up the rest of my crepe, I waited for Akeno to do so as well before hurriedly dragging her to our next destination.

The arcade, the aquarium, and even during the short restroom break I'm taking right now, I could feel the eyes of our stalkers drilling a hole through me. It was honestly so distracting that I had a hard time paying attention to the date. Surprisingly enough though, Akeno doesn't seem to mind. In fact, I think she's enjoying the jealousy. Well I can't say that it hasn't been fun. During our date Akeno's shown a side of her I didn't know about before to me. Her eyes would sparkle with a childlike wonder, and she would giggle like one too.

After washing and wiping my hands dry, I stepped out of the public restroom and rejoined Akeno who was waiting beside the entrance.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's no trouble," she replied while putting on a mischievous smile. "In fact, I think this is the perfect opportunity."

Perfect opportunity?

Before I could ask what she meant by that, Akeno suddenly grabbed my hand and took off running with me in tow.

"W-Wait, huh? Where are we going?"

"We're going to lose Rias and the others!"

Oh boy. I am so going to die later.

Shaking off my remaining thoughts of imminent death, I continued running with Akeno as we ducked and weaved through side streets and alleys. The whole time we were running Akeno had a refreshing smile on her face, often telling me to hurry up in a playful voice. Finally, we ducked into a nearby alley and hid in the shadows once we've gained enough headway. Sure enough we saw our pursuers sprint right past our hiding place.

The two of us stepped back out into the sunlight and shared a grin at our accomplishment. Now we really get to enjoy our date to the fullest.

However… There was one major point I had completely overlooked during the chase. One thing that meant the difference between life and death. That thing was Akeno's ability to scheme while hiding her true intentions.

All around us, neon signs and gaudy lights on otherwise normal looking hotels. Couples hand in hand, arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, walking into these establishments.

Indeed. We had wandered into none other than a strip of love hotels.

"Ara, maybe we should hide in one of these hotels," Akeno suggested with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Yep. Just as I expected.

"Well, I don't really mind, but don't you think it's a bit early for that?"

"Don't worry! We'll just be in there for an hour."

Not giving me any chance to argue back, Akeno grabbed my arm and began dragging me towards the nearest hotel.

"Ohoho. Couples these days sure are energetic!"

An vaguely familiar old man's voice that came from behind us made us stop and turn around.

Standing there in broad daylight with perverted grin on his face was none other than Odin along with his attendant and another man.

"O-Odin? What are you doing here?"

No way he came all the way to Japan just to sightsee

"You two!" The silver-haired beauty next to Odin suddenly shouted before the old god could answer and pointed accusingly at Akeno and me. "You two are still students, are you not? It is improper for such young children to be coming to places like this!"

"Er, no, well, even if you tell me that…"

As the woman… What was her name again? Rossweisse? Yeah, I think that was it. As Rossweisse continued to lecture us on proper behavior, Odin's other companion began walking towards Akeno.

"Y-You… Why..?"

Akeno's eyes shot open in shock as she stared at the man.

"Akeno, you should know better than to come to a place like this," the man scolded.

Composing herself, Akeno adopted a confrontational stance and glared at the man.

"Why should you care? You abandoned me, didn't you?"

Geez. The amount of hate radiating off of Akeno right now could melt the polar ice caps in a single night.

Judging by the way she's reacting and the way the man spoke to her, I'll have to hazard a guess that this guy's her dad. Well, now should be a perfect situation for me to jump in, diffuse the situation and earn some brownie points with him.

"Ahem," I cleared by throat and stepped forward while holding my hand out in a friendly manner. "Good day, sir. I am Hyoudou Saya, solitary Pawn of Rias Gremory's Peerage, and also Akeno's escort for the day. I apologize if we've caused any distress to you, but due to various circumstances, we accidentally wandered into this area without realizing it."

The man was visibly caught off guard by my sudden intrusion before quickly catching himself and shaking my hand.

"Ah, yes, greetings. I have heard a lot about you from both Odin and Azazel. I am Baraqiel, one of the Grigori's leaders, and also Akeno's father."

Looks like I was right. Man, this date just turned into something extremely troublesome, huh?

* * *

Well now. If I was asked at the beginning of my life what I thought my future held for me I certainly wouldn't say I'd be expecting an ancient Norse god to be lounging in my house.

Except… that's exactly what's happening right now.

Apparently he has something to do in Japan and just decided to drop by our town to check it out.

"Here, Odin, your tea," I said as I delivered my homebrew to the Norse god.

"Oh, thank you! It smells wonderful! Just like you, my dear."

I ignored his offhand comment and continued to try to ignore him when he bent down and blatantly tried to look up my skirt. Seriously! What is up with this pervert?!

Since Akeno was out of commission with seething rage against her father, I had to take up the mantle and make tea for everyone.

"Well, I guess introductions are in order here," Odin said as he gingerly rubbed his heard where Rossweisse smacked him with a paper fan. "Rossweisse, why don't you go first?"

The silver-haired beauty sighed and nodded.

"Understood. My name is Rossweisse, a Valkyrie. I look forward to working with you all during our stay in Japan."

"She's also a virgin and single if anyone's interested," Odin tagged on to the end of the Valkyrie's introduction.

Once those words left his mouth, almost everyone' eyes immediately turned to look at me.

Ahaha… haha… It's nice to see that's the kind of image everybody has of me in their heads.

"A-Anyways, let's continue with introductions shall we? Why don't we have that nice looking gentlemen over there tell us who he is!" I said while pointing to Akeno's father in an effort to change the subject.

The man took the change in attention in stride and proceeded to introduce himself.

"My name is Baraqiel, one of the leaders of the Grigori, a pleasure to meet you all. My role here is to supervise you all as Azazel is away."

"That's right," Sensei nodded. "I'm pretty busy with dealing with the remnants of the Khaos Brigade and all. After all, as all of you may know, the numbers of Hero Faction members that have attained Balance Breaker have increased recently."

Looks like we were landed with another troublesome job. Dealing with that old man everyday might take a huge toll on me. Although, the last thing Azazel-sensei said stuck in my mind.

"You mean, there's more than one?" I asked.

"Yeah," the Fallen Angel nodded and crossed his arms. "I read your report about that shadow user. There have been other attacks on members of all three factions and similar reports of one of the terrorists escaping after receiving a huge power spike."

That's a huge problem. If it was just that one guy it wouldn't be too hard to deal with, but now there are multiple ones? Not to mention the Hero Faction's members are all inhumanly strong humans that are somehow related to an ancient hero. They're seriously gearing up for a full-scale war here.

"Anyways, old man!" Azazel-sensei suddenly shouted. "I still have some time before I have to get to work, so how about I show you to a place that you might like."

"Oho? And where may that be?" The old god asked, stroking his beard with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"A place where you can experience all the pleasures of the female body. One that belongs to the Grigori."

Seriously? Is this conversation really happening right now in my house?

As the two men grinned at each other as if reaching an understanding. They quickly stood up and walked out of the room discussing the more… intimate details of the fine establishment they were planning to go to.

What is with this world's leaders? The only ones I actually respect right now are Sirzechs-nii-san and Michael-sama.

After a bumbling Rossweisse followed the two out, spluttering protests that fell on deaf ears, Baraqiel spoke up.

"Akeno, I would like to speak with you."

The girl in question refused to meet his gaze and turned her head to the side.

"There is nothing for us to talk about."

"I…" For a second there, the man seemed like he was about to say something but ended up deciding against it. "I see…"

Without saying another word, Baraqiel stood from his seat and walked away.

After that an awkward silence descended on the room.

"Uh… well, I think I'm going to go rest in my room. It's been a long day, and all that," I said while standing up.

While walking towards the stairs to the second floor, I quickly doubled back and walked into the kitchen where Baraqiel went.

He was standing in front of the sliding glass window looking out into the garden with a strange expression on his face.

"Sir, uh, Baraqiel-sama?"

The Fallen Angel didn't react to his name so I instead silently stood by his side.

It was a while before the man finally said something.

"What is your relationship with my daughter, Red Dragon Empress?"

Jeez. This guy really doesn't know how to talk to girls, huh?

"Hm… I'll tell you if you tell me your relationship with Akeno."

"My relationship with…"

"Just think of it as a sort of information trade. Besides, I can tell that you're not a bad guy. I'm worried, so I want to know why Akeno hates you, her own father, so much."

The man hummed as he was thinking my proposition over, until he finally sighed.

"Very well. I will tell you. Normally I wouldn't do so, but for some reason I feel a strange inclination to trust you."

Moving around the kitchen, I grabbed a couple of cups and filled them up with water before rejoining Baraqiel by the window.

"It happened when Akeno was around ten," the man began. "We were a happy family back then living each day in peace. I did everything I could to protect Shuri and Akeno, but… it wasn't enough. Our home was attacked when I was out on business. I barely arrived in time…"

As he was speaking, the Fallen Angel's voice grew more and more strained as his fists clenched.

"Shuri was dead already," he continued. "I managed to save Akeno in time; however, she's blamed me for not protecting her. For not protecting them. I have no excuses to make. Shuri died because of my inability to protect my family. That is why Akeno despises me. That is why she despises all Fallen Angels. I had thought… that she might have forgiven me by now, but it seems I was wrong."

I see… I'm sure Akeno understands by now that it wasn't his fault, but because of some kind of mental block she refuses to admit it.

"Alright!" I exclaimed while clapping my hands, startling Baraqiel out of his reverie. "Guess it's my turn to tell you. Akeno and I… well, I guess it's safe enough to say that we're lovers."

"L-Lovers?!"

"Yep. Since you were completely honest with me I decided to be completely honest with you."

"Y-You… H-how could you be…"

Looks like the man is in a state of shock. Time for the clincher.

"So, Baraqiel," I said while grabbing his hands and holding them up to my face. "No, please let me call you father! Please, grant me Akeno's hand in marriage!"

"H-H-Hand in marriage?!"

The look on the man's face was priceless. So much so that I just couldn't keep it up anymore and I ended up bursting out laughing.

"Wh-What? What is the meaning of this?"

"Sorry, sorry!" I managed to say between fits. "It was just a little test. From your reactions, I can tell that you really do love Akeno from the bottom of your heart."

Baraqiel just stared at me, stunned, until his expression broke into a small grin.

"You are a strange girl."

"Hehe. I'll be taking that as a compliment."

Good. It looks like I lightened the mood and also improved his view of me.

"Well, anyways," I said while stretching and walking away. "I'm going to be going now. I look forward to working with you."

* * *

Another thing I wasn't expecting to do in this lifetime was autographing. Especially at a meet n' greet event like this. And by this, I mean a special event held by the producers of that children's TV show based on me in the Underworld.

The kids were fine and all, but the costumes they used for the show were somewhat… risqué. My armor especially showed way more skin than I was used to. It was basically a bikini with pauldrons, a metal skirt with greaves, and a vizor to cover my face. Although, the other's costumes weren't much better.

Rias, known as the Crimson Princess, had on a skimpy red dress with black fringes. It showed her midriff through a rather large window that ran down from her breasts and nearly to her waist while also showing a large amount of cleavage. Not to mention the slit in one side of the dress that showed off nearly her entire leg.

Yumi, known as the Dark Knight, was wearing dark purple armor that would look completely black without the light. Her armor was tight and form fitting. So much so that you could see all the curves on her body.

Koneko-chan, known as the Hellcat, was wearing a fur tube top loincloth combo with white and black animal stripes. She also had big, fluffy cat paws on her hands and feet so it made it a bit difficult for her to autograph. Although, she does look like she's the most used to this kind of attention.

You know… I sometimes wonder just how many adult males out there are buying the merch for this show. Also, I don't doubt that Azazel-sensei and Sirzechs-nii-san decided to invest a little in some kind of adult merchandise. I swear I thought I saw a body pillow of me in one of these specialty stores.

I shuddered involuntarily at the thought of some creepy guy doing "this and that" with that body pillow.

Actually… Now that I think about it there are just as many adults here as there are kids. The show really does have a cult following now, huh?

After what seemed like hours of shaking hands of all kinds of people, old and young, we finally retired to back once the event was over.

Seriously… I didn't expect that something like this would be so taxing. I probably shook hands and autographed things for more than a thousand people.

"Miss Saya, thank you for all your hard work."

I looked towards the source of the voice to see Ravel Phenex walking up to me holding a towel. Her face was to the ground and she was blushing hard as she handed it to me.

Guess my outfit is kind of embarrassing to a sheltered girl like her.

"Thanks, Ravel," I said while patting her head.

"I-It's no problem, Miss Saya. I think your goal in bringing happiness to the children of the Underworld is a very admirable task so I simply wished to help you, b-but it's not like I want to specifically help you or anything it's just that it's such a noble goal that I simply wanted to share in the giving, and, and-"

Before Ravel could keep rambling on like a broken record, I placed a finger over her lips and shushed her.

"Yes, yes," I said with a smile. "Thank you for all your hard work as well, my dear Ravel."

"H-Hau… M-Miss Saya… Praised me…"

She really is just too cute and innocent. Maybe I can have a bit more fun with her.

"Oh, by the way, Ravel, could you help me undress? This outfit is a bit hard to put on and get off," I requested with an innocent look of indifference.

"Eh?!" Ravel squeaked. "H-H-H-Help you u-u-undress?! S-Such a th-thing is..!"

Let's push this a little farther, shall we?

"Is that a no? I guess I'll go ask someone else to do it," I said with a sigh.

As I moved towards the door of my dressing room, I felt Ravel grab my arm and hold me back.

"N-No! I'll do it! I shall assist you!"

Hook, line, and sinker. This girl is way too easy to trick… Actually, I'm getting kind of worried for her with how naïve she is.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you."

Turning around, I showed Ravel my back. Even before she touched me I could tell that she was trembling.

She began with the pauldrons, unclasping them and slipping them off of my shoulders. Even though they didn't really provide much coverage, I suddenly felt much more naked than I did before. Next she went to my gauntlets, carefully removing them from my arms. She went on to the greaves, taking her time to lift each foot before taking them off. Ravel hesitated for a brief second before reaching up to my head and removing the visor, her hands remaining on my hair a split second more than needed.

Finally, all that was left were the two pieces of metal left that were covering my most important areas.

"M-Miss Saya… Miss Saya's…"

"Hm? What's the matter, Ravel? Why'd you stop?"

As if I didn't already know why.

"Nothing! N-No reason! I-I'll continue, s-so just don't turn around!"

Ravel's shaking hands touched my back, reaching up to the clasps of the bikini top. I wasn't exactly lying when I said that it was hard to put on. In fact, I had to ask Rias for help in the first place.

"Ah!"

There was a snap as the top came undone and fell to the ground with a metallic clang.

Now!

Spinning around to face Ravel, I made a show of stretching lazily with my arms over my head as Ravel stared wide-eyed at my almost completely nude body.

"Hawawawababababagaagaga! M-M-M-Miss Sayaaaa?!" Ravel screamed as her entire body seemingly turned red.

It took all I had to stop myself from laughing. Although, the next thing that happened would have stopped any laughing fit I was going to break into.

Before I knew what was happening, two geysers of blood shot out of Ravel's nose as her body stiffened and collapsed with a completely blissful look on her face.

"H-Hey! Ravel! Are you okay?"

Well… I didn't expect that to happen.

"Ehehehe…" The young girl giggled drunkenly as I knelt down beside her and placed her head on my lap.

Really… There's no need to react like that. Although, it does make me kind of happy knowing how she sees me.

"Saya," Rias called out as she opened to door to my dressing room and stepped in. "It's about time we-"

She stopped mid-sentence and mid-stride once she saw the condition Ravel and I were in. The next second, the room temperature seemed to drop by ten degrees.

"Ah… U-Um, there's a good explanation for this!" I tried explaining while waving my hands in front of me to try to placate my fuming master.

"Oh..? And just what kind of situation could end up with you two like this..?"

Ugh… I think… It'd be best if I just resigned myself to my fate…

* * *

Soon after our group finished our duties escorting Odin around town, Yumi and I decided to have a little sparring session.

The Knight had gotten so fast that even I couldn't keep complete track of her movements. Also, in terms of swordsmanship, a self-taught fighter like me couldn't ever hope to compare to a dedicated practitioner like her.

But that didn't mean I was going to make it easy for her. I have way more experience than her at fighting opponents that are superior to me in every way.

The sound of metal clashing rang out in the night as Yumi and I performed an intricate, deadly dance with our blades.

Using my battle experience, I tried to predict all of Yumi's movements as she seemingly teleported all around me. To an outsider, it would seem like I was just slashing at thin air. That was just how fast Yumi was now.

Twisting around, I pulled a third sword out of my Vault and held it between my teeth to block an attack coming from my blind spot as I continued to swing at locations I predicted Yumi would attack from with the pair of swords in my hands. In response, Yumi increased her speed even more to try to overwhelm me.

Before long, I was feeling exhausted at trying to keep up with Yumi's whirlwind of attacks.

But… My plan was coming along nicely. During the duration of the spar, I had been scattering the weapons Yumi broke around me to help me pinpoint her location. After all, her "teleportation" is just her moving at extreme speeds. She still needs to undergo the process of going from point A to point B. In that case, it's impossible for her to completely avoid touching her environment. With the assistance of a little magic, I was able to sharpen my senses so that even the smallest disturbance amongst the field of shattered weapons wouldn't slip past my attention.

Also, as an added countermeasure, among the broken weapons I had scattered remote activated magic traps. Specifically the immobilizing kind. All I need to do is stab the ground to activate all of the traps at once.

That's why this is…

"Checkmate!"

Yumi had feinted an attack from the front before leaping behind me to strike at my exposed back, but the amount of broken weapons lying on the battlefield allowed me to "see" all of her movements.

Acting quickly, I flattened myself to the ground and stabbed my remaining blade into the dirt. All at once, the traps activated as chains shot out of the talismans and formed a protective barrier around me while wrapping themselves around Yumi's limbs.

The Knight grunted in surprise, but it didn't last long since she cut through the chains in a second.

That second was all I needed, though, to take the advantage. Before Yumi was even caught by the chains, I had drawn a spear from my Vault and was already charging towards her. After she had cut herself free, she hit the ground running trying to build up momentum to attain the speed she previously had.

Placing all my bets on this final attack, I thrust the spear forward in a mad gambit. To my dismay, Yumi easily slipped under the thrust and was now within her comfortable range of attack. All it would take for her now would be a single stroke to split me in half.

Dropping the spear, I clenched my teeth around the hilt of a dagger and pulled it out of my Vault while simultaneously drawing another sword out with my hands.

Just as Yumi swung, I twisted my body and blocked the strike with the dagger in my mouth. At the same time, the Knight created another sword with her other hand and stabbed at me without a moment's hesitation. At the same time, I had managed to thrust my sword towards her.

I felt cold steel touch against my neck as I stopped my attack just short of Yumi's neck.

"Looks like…" Yumi said with a grin as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.

"A tie…" I finished with a smile of my own, dropping the dagger that was in my mouth.

Only now can I feel the burn in my muscles as my adrenaline levels were slowly falling.

Sighing, I lowered my sword and shook my head.

"I really am no match for you, Yumi. You're pretty much superior to me in all aspects."

The Knight giggled as she did the same as me.

"Physically perhaps, but you're cunning is second to none. The way you use the tools you have in your arsenal and the fluidity you possess when executing your plans are second to none. By the point I realized what your plan was, I was already caught inside your web."

"Ahaha…" I felt myself blush a little at Yumi's compliment. "You give me too much credit. I don't have a tactical mindset like Rias so I can't really make full use of my tricks."

"I'm also surprised at how well you could read my blades. I was sure that my speed would render them as nothing but blurs, but you switched your weapons each time I did to counteract them," Yumi pointed out as I handed her a water bottle and a towel.

"Well, after seeing and collecting so many weapons over the years, I could probably appraise a weapon the instant I see it."

"That is truly an impressive feat, Saya."

As Yumi said that, she placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

"Aha… haha… no way. I'm just a simple adventurer is all. My true skills lie in dungeon delving and spelunking. That appraisal thing was just a side-effect of my treasure hunting."

"Anyways," Yumi said as she sat down on the ground. "I heard that you're planning to create your own Peerage."

"Mhm, that's right. Did Xenovia tell you?"

"Yes. She said she'll be joining you along with Asia when you leave."

"Yup, yup. It's really reassuring that I'll have two allies right off the bat."

"Ah… Well, I hope you will forgive me if I say that I am planning to stay with Buchou."

I smiled and shook my head.

"Don't worry about that. I completely understand why. After all, Rias was the one that saved your life."

Yumi chuckled softly.

"Well, well, aren't you a mature one, princess? Of course, my heart will still belong to you, my dear."

This again? Well, I can hardly turn down an offer to roleplay like this.

"Oh, Ser Knight, you flatter me so. A simple peasant girl such as I does not deserve your words of praise," I exclaimed in my best dramatic impression of an innocent, young maiden.

The two of us stared at each other lovingly for a moment before we both broke into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hey, Yumi, let's do our best together. To get stronger, and to support Rias," I said to the Knight after finally calming down.

"Yes. Let's," Yumi replied while planting a light kiss on my forehead.

* * *

"Gyahahahaha!"

"Kahahahahaha!"

I sighed Azazel-sensei and Odin laughed uproariously in the flying carriage we were all squeezed into. We had just left another strip club owned by the Grigori so those two idiots were in an extremely good mood.

The other members of the ORC were in a similar state of mind as me. We were all tired of getting dragged around to all of these places by that old god. Even Rossweisse, who had maintained a calm decorum for the entire duration, was reaching her limit.

Sighing again, I tried to block out the geezers' lecherous conversation when suddenly the cart came to a violent stop and I was jolted face first into Odin's lap.

"Oho! What's this, Saya? I'm happy you feel this way, but I'm sorry to tell you that I'm only into girls with big boobies, you know."

It took everything I had to stop myself from socking him in the face.

Seriously! What the hell is up with this guy?!

"Now's not the time for joking around!" Rossweisse shouted as she pushed the door to the carriage open and flew out into the sky.

After quickly straightening myself out, we all piled out of the carriage to see what happened.

I was expecting to see the Hero Faction bearing down on us, but what stood in front of the carriage was a single, unassuming man.

"Hello, hello!" The man cried theatrically as he threw his arms open. "Greetings and salutations and good days to all! Many of you may know me, but fret not to those of you who do not. I am the trickster god of the north, Loki!"

Great. Just great. I don't think I'm quite ready to take on a god-level being just yet. Then again, we have the advantage of numbers along with a god.

"Loki, what is your business here?" Azazel-sensei asked calmly.

"My, my. Is it a crime to worry about your elders? Old man Odin isn't as young as he used to be. He should be in bed resting, and yet, here he is fooling around. Being the caring person I am, I've simply decided to check up on him to see if might have accidentally threw out his back."

Ah… He's one of those characters…

Ignoring his explanation, Azazel-sensei remained unfazed.

"Did the Khaos Brigade send you?"

Loki scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Why would I have anything to do with those fools? I answer only to myself, fool."

The air seemed to crackle with tension as our sides squared off.

"Odin," Loki said, suddenly turning serious. "Do you really intend to make peace with these mongrels? The church actively trampled over our traditions and cultures, and now you intend to also form an alliance with the Eastern gods?!"

"Yes, I understand that quite well," Odin answered calmly while stroking his beard. "However, that happened eons ago. Why don't we let bygones be bygones? Besides, I have a genuine interest in their culture."

"Tch. I see. Very well, then."

All of a sudden, a huge amount of pressure began emanating from Loki's body.

Dammit. So we are going to have to fight after all.

As I prepared myself for the upcoming battle, a wave of light flew straight at the trickster and exploded in his face.

What the hell?!

I turned to look at Xenovia who was holding tightly onto Durandal.

"He who takes the initiative wins," she deadpanned.

Ah, well, that's not wrong, but…

"Kah! Not bad for a Holy Sword but," Loki said as the smoke cleared from his face, revealing that the attack did no damage at all. "Did you really think a weak attack like that would work?"

While laughing mockingly, the Norse god raised one of his fingers and pointed it at us.

That's… I have no idea what that is, but it feels like it'd be super bad if it hit. I guess it'd be safe to use a trump card in this kind of situation.

As light gathered at his fingertip, I threw out my hand and called out, "Rho Aias!"

The small device in my hand activated just in time as I poured my magic into it. A flower like projection with seven petals formed in front of us just as a beam of energy shot out of Loki's finger. As a result, the attack was completely nullified.

Ah…

Crap.

My vision blurred as I realized that I may have used up a bit too much magic, or rather, the device just uses up a lot of magic. Well, I was warned when Venelana gave it to me that it would. I thought for sure that I was ready to use it. Guess I misjudged.

"Hmhm? That's quite the interesting artifact you have there, girl," Loki said with a low whistle. "You are the so-called Red Dragon, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?" I replied while activating Balance Breaker.

"And that crimson-haired lady over there must be the Gremory heiress I've heard so much about."

Instead of responding, Rias simply began charging her magic.

"Oh dear, oh dear. It seems I am at a slight disadvantage," the trickster god said while shaking his head and shrugging. "Why don't I call in a little help to even the playing field?"

Help? So he does have reinforcements hiding somewhere.

"Come help your father deal with these pests, my loving son!"

Son..?!

So that means… Fenrir?

The so-called wolf that is to kill Odin during Ragnarok…

If a monster like that is coming here, then things could go very wrong.

In the next second, a rift was slowly torn open in the air by a set of massive claws. It continued to rip apart the air around it until gigantic, silver wolf padded out of it.

I found myself beginning to quake uncontrollably just at the sight of the beast.

Terror.

For the first time in a long time I was feeling genuine terror against this being.

So primal, so natural.

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run away from that thing.

And yet… And yet…

I couldn't help but get excited.

Such a beautiful creature… A perfect killing machine matched only by its sheer majesty. The way moonlight reflected off of its coat of fur almost made it seem like it was sparkling and its icy blue eyes regarded everything with an indifferent sweep that held an unmistakable intelligence.

Its entire form sent shivers down my spine for this reason as well.

"I understand that it is many of yours first time meeting my son," Loki said while patting the wolf's flank. "Allow me to introduce Fenrir. He shall be your guide for a one way trip to the afterlife."

"Kh! To think that he would bring that monster here. Things might get hairy…" Azazel-sensei said darkly.

Loki smiled widely. It was the kind that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was the kind that promised the pain and suffering.

"Now my son, why don't you go devour that crimson-haired lady over there? It should make for an easy, but rewarding first kill."

What?!

Howling, the wolf crouched down and pounced towards Rias, its massive jaws open wide and slavering. It was nothing but a silver blur that streaked across the night sky as it moved closer and closer to my master.

Before I even knew what was happening, my body moved on its own, jetting towards the streak in order to try to intercept it before it could harm one of the women I love.

I collided right into the wolf, knocking it off its course and sending it careening off to the side.

"Rias! Are you okay?!"

Turning around, I checked over Rias' body to make sure that she hadn't gotten hurt.

"S-Saya… You…" Rias stared at me still in shock before she shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

Thank goodness.

As I breathed a sigh of relief, I felt something wet running down my arm.

Wait… my arm?

When I tried to raise my arm to try to see what it was, I found that I couldn't move it.

No… That's not right.

My entire body refuses to move.

Why?

What the hell happened?!

I hovered frozen in my spot and watched as my armor be torn apart into shreds by an unseen force. I couldn't even feel it when blood shot out of my neck from a deep cut that had seemingly just appeared there. I couldn't do anything as I watched my torso nearly split apart from my legs.

What the hell..?

Whatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehell?!

How..?

"Noooooooooooo!"

Asia's scream pierced the silent night sky which served as a catalyst for the others.

"Saya!"

"Saya-chan!"

"Senpai!"

I still couldn't move. I simply just floated there as blood continued to pour out of my wounds. It was like my body refused to accept the fact that it was torn apart so gruesomely. Even as my comrades carried me, protected me, and began a desperate attempt at healing the wounds, I still couldn't feel any pain.

It was only when Azazel-sensei and Baraqiel began battling against the wolf and the Norse god that my vision began fading.

My breaths came short and labored.

Maybe… the only reason why I wasn't dead right now was because my body had unconsciously reacted to Fenrir's attack and moved so that I wasn't completely split into three. I could always just chalk it up to my luck as well.

That monster… Its claws shredded straight through my armor as if it was just a piece of paper. Not only that, but it moved even faster than Yumi for me to not be able to see or feel its attack at all.

Do we really stand a chance against something like that?

Ah… no good. I can't… keep awake any longer…

The last thing I saw before I slipped unconscious was Asia's tear filled face staring down at mine.

I did it again…

I made everyone worry…

I'll have to…

Apologize…

When I…

Wake…

Up…

* * *

 **Omake: Home Away From Home**

It was the weekend again. The only time I can really get some time to relax. Well… Sometimes at least. Sometimes it's harder to relax at home than it is at school which is… kinda sad. As much as I love everyone in the club it is really exhausting to not have any real downtime. That's why I've dedicated one day every month to being by myself and today is one of those days!

"Hey everyone! I'm going out today so don't cause too much trouble at home!" I called out to whoever was listening before rushing out the front door.

I'll have to hurry and get to the usual place before everyone decides to stalk me.

Running through the streets, I took any side street I saw as a detour in order to try to throw off any pursuers I might have. Before long I had finally arrived in front of a stairway in the middle of an alleyway descending down towards an unassuming wooden door.

This was it. The moment I walk in there the others won't be able to track me.

With a spring in my step, I hopped down the stairs two at a time before I finally reached the door. I rang the doorbell twice in quick succession before I heard a click.

Taking one last look behind me to check that I wasn't being followed, I quickly opened the door and slipped inside before closing it behind me and locking it.

Yes! Mission complete!

The interior of the place wasn't anything anyone would've expected to see in the middle of a Japanese town. The floors and walls were made of stone bricks and the only source of lighting was the lanterns hanging on the walls. The sides were also filled with racks for holding weapons and armors and most of them had been filled.

Further inside, the sound of a roaring fire and metal clanging could be heard.

Sounds like Heph is hard at work.

I had found this place by chance a few months ago when I was wandering around the city on my own. And good thing I found it, too. Without Hephaestus here I wouldn't be able to resupply myself with weapons.

Yeah… Imagine my surprise when I walked into the medieval dungeon looking place and saw a Greek god hammering away at an anvil. Apparently the door only acts as a portal to Heph's workshop which is still stationed in Greece. She has doors like this set up all over the world so she would have easy access to her clients.

Ah, right. Hephaestus is a woman. Mainly because she isn't the original, but a descendant like those Hero Faction guys.

Although just because she isn't the real deal doesn't mean her crafts aren't as good. In fact, they're probably the best metalwork I've seen in this world.

"Hey, Heph! I'm here to visit!" I called out cheerfully as I walked into her workstation.

The red-head looked up from her work; her face covered in soot and grime, and grinned when she saw me.

"Yo, Saya, you're here early."

Wiping some sweat off her brow, the goddess returned to hammering a smoldering piece of iron into the anvil.

"Well I just couldn't wait to see you," I answered playfully.

"Right, right. Give me some time to finish up this last sword and I'll give you your order, alright?"

"Of course."

Making myself as comfortable as I could in this place, I leaned against the wall and watched Heph work.

She was truly a master of her trade. Not only were the swords she made beautiful, but the way she created them was also beautiful. Blacksmithing is an art, although not many people would say so. Apparently Heph hasn't met anyone else in her life that can appreciate weapons like I do so she was more than happy to help make me new weapons to use in exchange for some companionship.

I had let her study some of the legendary weapons I had in my arsenal as well. Of course, they were the less dangerous ones, but that didn't make them any less powerful. She had taken an exceptional liking to Clarent, saying that the turmoil within the sword made it an extremely formidable weapon. Its strength is apparently fueled by both the wielder's hatred and love working in tandem. A twisted testament to Mordred's will, I suppose.

The repeated clanging finally stopped as Hephaestus held up a newly created blade and inspected it in the candlelight.

"Hm… Not bad," she mumbled.

Even though she says that… it's still far better than a lot of the generic weapons I still have left in my Vault.

"Anyways," Heph said as she laid the blade down and turned to me. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Another one of my clients ordered a new sword the other day. Come on, I'll take you to your order."

I followed the goddess through a serious of interconnected storage rooms full of works of metal until we stopped in a room with nearly half a thousand weapons laid across multiple tables.

"And here they are," the blacksmith said, spreading her arms wide. "I made sure to get some special materials for some of them. They're sorted in the usual way so take your time to sort through them."

"Really, thank you so much Heph. Are you sure you don't want me to pay you for all this? It kind of makes me feel bad that you're doing so much for me."

"Aw don't worry about it, Saya. We're buds, aren't we?" The goddess said with a grin as she playfully nudged me.

"Well, yeah… but… I know! I'll do anything you ask me to do today in order to repay you. How about that?"

"Huh? Seriously? Are you for real?"

I nodded.

"Yep. So go ahead, ask away."

"Hm…" Hephaestus crossed her arms and started tapping her foot as she thought.

After a brief moment, she snapped her gloved fingers and turned to look me in the eye.

"You said you'd do anything, right?" She asked.

"Anything," I affirmed.

"Right… so… can you, uh, close your eyes for a sec?"

"Um? Sure, but is that it?"

Despite being slightly confused at her small request, I did what I was told and shut my eyes.

"D-Don't open them until I say so, okay?"

"Alright, I won't."

I waited patiently on the spot for Heph to do something when I suddenly feel something press into my lips.

My eyes reflexively opened in shock and I found myself staring into Heph's bright, emerald green eyes.

The face was nearly as red as her hair was we kissed, but even though I had broken my promise, Heph didn't seem to mind. In fact, she pushed harder; forcing my back into the stone wall as she passionately kissed me.

Breaking off, Heph stared deep into my eyes, not saying a word.

The silence held for a while before the blacksmith finally decided to speak up.

"So, you wanna stay over tonight so we can continue this later?"

"Well… I did say I'd do anything, right?"

Heph beamed at my answer and proceeded to let me go.

"Alright!" She shouted while pumping a fist. "Now, let's get these beauties into your Vault so we can spend some quality time together later."

Ahaha… Looks like I'll have some explaining to do when I get back home…

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** B+

 **Endurance:** B+

 **Agility:** A++

 **Magic:** C++

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow, Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais, Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos, Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn, Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung, Valmanway, Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Balance Breaker – Blade Dancer:** EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that combines it with the Dimensional Vault to summon blades.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Hero's Ballad:** (N/A)

 **Z***ra Weave:** (N/A)

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

 **Makiage:** A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.

* * *

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 7

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 0

 **Ravel Phenex:** Rank 8

 **Irina Shidou:** Rank 5


	25. War and Peace 3

**AN:** About time another installment got finished. With this comes the explosive finale to the Loki arc. To anyone who isn't aware, I have released DRE Vol. 0, a prologue to this Vol. 1 (obviously) so go read that if you're interested. The first portion of this chapter is actually a little preview of whats to come in Vol. 0. Other than that, thank you all for your continued support. If it wasn't for you guys then I wouldn't have continued writing for this long.

* * *

 _Pain. Pain flares through my body. I can't move. I'm speared through by multiple weapons, pinning me in place. My lungs fill with blood, forcing me to cough out the crimson liquid. It's suffocating. It's cold. But, I'm no stranger to this sensation._

" _Master…"_

 _My voice comes out as a raspy gurgle. My vision hazes over and turns red from the blood running down my face. I'm dying. There's no doubt about it. I can't help but feel empty. Death is just another part of life. A natural order of things._

 _Then why… Why, when I have forsaken this world… why do I refuse to give in? Even as I lay broken and bleeding, a small, traitorous part of me is screaming at me to fight back. To fight till my very last breath. To not give in to my inner demons._

 _My eyes turn towards my young master, standing protectively in front of me._

 _Fool. If you die, then everything we fought for would be for naught._

 _He says something I can't quite hear._

 _I see…_

 _So that's why._

 _Every cell in my body is screaming for me to save him, just like before when I first found him._

 _How idiotic._

 _It seems, my Master is would be completely helpless without me._

* * *

"Saya!"

I jumped and screamed as the sound of Asia's voice woke me up from my sleep.

The chatter in the room stopped as everybody's eyes turned to focus on me. Valerie, who had been sitting directly across from me, chuckled quietly into her hand

"Ahaha… Haha… S-Sorry…" I sheepishly apologized while rubbing the back of my head.

"Jeez, don't fall asleep in the middle of the meeting. I know you're still recovering, but try to pay attention okay?" Asia chided me with a cute pout.

Instead of lecturing me, Rias just turned her attention back to the discussion on hand, leaving me to sigh and absentmindedly rub at my healing wounds while following along.

That dream again, huh. It's been a while since I last had that one. To be honest, it's not one I enjoy since it reminds me of the kind of person I was before. I guess, in the end, I was only lying to myself to keep from getting hurt.

Well, whatever. It's not like it matters right now.

My gaze falls on Valerie, Bikou, Arthur, and Kuroka who had made themselves at home in my house.

I had survived, naturally, that attack from Fenrir the night we fought Loki, but it left me decommissioned for a day. Apparently, after I had lost consciousness Valerie showed up and drove him off. She certainly has a way of showing up at convenient times.

As a result of her actions, Azazel-sensei thought it'd be a good idea to form an alliance with her to deal with Loki. Of course, at first it was met with a ton of opposition, but with some convincing from Sirzechs-nii-san the others came to terms with it.

So here we are now, using my home as meeting grounds for our anti-Loki alliance.

Unfortunately, though, it seems like we've hid a dead-end. Valerie's intentions are both… clear and uncertain. She says she's doing this just because she wants to fight against Loki and Fenrir, which I don't doubt, but, I also can't help but feel that she has some kind of ulterior motive.

Before long, a consensus had been reached where we would contact one of the Heavenly Dragons to ask about information on Fenrir and Loki. With the discussion reaching an end, everyone decided to take a break before coming back to it, leaving everyone to their own devices.

"Pheeeww! About time!" Bikou exclaimed as he hopped onto his feet. "Hey, hey, dragon girlie, you don't mind if I go use your baths do you?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. Go ahead," I replied with a nod.

"Hehehe~. Thanks!"

Whistling cheerfully, the monkey-man sauntered out of the room with his hands clasped behind his head.

"Um… Saya," Asia quietly called for my attention while pulling at my sleeve.

"Hm? What is it?"

Instead of answering with words, she pointed a finger towards Valerie who had settled down into the couch across from us and had begun reading a book.

It took me a moment to realize what she meant by that.

"Oh… You want to thank her?"

Asia nodded while tightening her grip on my sleeve.

I guess she means for saving her from that Dimensional Gap place.

Well, I also kind of want to thank her for bailing us out of that situation with Loki.

Standing up, I took Asia's hand and began walking towards Valerie. Once we got close enough, I cleared my throat.

The silver-haired girl glanced up from her book and smirked when she saw me.

"Why, Saya, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Stepping to the side, I gently pushed Asia, who was nervously playing with the hem of her skirt, forward.

"U-Um… Th-thank you very much for saving me!" Asia said while bowing her head.

Valerie blinked before mouthing a silent "o".

"That's right. You're the girl I pulled from the gap. Don't mention it," she replied with a smile.

"And also, thanks for helping us out with Loki," I added with a bow.

"Hm? Well, Saya, if you really wish to thank me, then I could think of a fair amount of ways you could do so."

Smirking, Valerie dropped her book before her hands shot out and grabbed me and pulled me onto her lap. Almost immediately her hands began to roam across my body.

"Wh-What the hell are you doing?!" I cried while trying to break away.

"I've had my fair share of partners," she whispered into my ear, causing a shiver to run down my back. "But you've captured my interest the most out of all of them."

"Your beautiful face, your slender arms, your modest chest, your toned stomach, your bewitching legs, but most of all… your innate submissiveness. All of those traits just make me want to turn you into my plaything."

Her voice had turned husky as she punctuated each example with a caress as Asia just stood, a conflicted look in her eyes and mouth agape, as she watched me get molested by Valerie.

"S-Seriously, Valerie, cut it out!" I protested and flinched as her hands came dangerously close to crossing the line.

"Y-Yes! Um, I-I don't think it's very appropriate to d-do such things!" Asia added while puffing up her cheeks and trying her very best to look intimidating.

Seeing this, Valerie just smirked and shook her head.

"Well, well, I suppose I have no choice. After all, I want Saya to be begging me for it when the times comes."

The silver-haired girl raised her hands, letting me stand up from my seat in her lap. I detached myself from her with a breath of relief, although my body betrayed my thoughts by yearning for more of her touch. There was no doubt about it, her hands were extremely skilled.

Huffing, Asia took my hand and dragged me away from Valerie who was waving at us with a carefree smile on her face.

The moment we walked out of the room, we came across a somewhat troublesome sight. Koneko-chan was glaring at Kuroka, her hackles raised as her older sister simply smiled back at her.

"Mnya?"

Kuroka's eyes swiveled to meet mine when Asia and I entered the room.

"Nya, nya, how kind of you to join us, nya," Kuroka said in a singsong manner.

"Kuroka…" I glanced at Koneko-chan briefly before moving to stand beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Senpai…"

It looks like the road to recovery for these two will be long and hard. Koneko-chan doesn't seem very pleased to have Kuroka here right now, but hopefully that'll change after we deal with Loki. For now, though, I should just get to know the woman.

"Hey, Asia, can you take Koneko-chan into the other room? I want to talk to Kuroka here in private," I requested.

"Eh?" The former nun just stared at me with a puzzled look on her face.

"Please? Can you do this for me?"

"Ah, um, okay."

As Asia took Koneko-chan's hand and led her out, I stood staring at the older Nekoshou.

"How naughty, Saya. What are you expecting to do with me when we're alone, nya?" Kuroka teased as she gazed at me flirtatiously.

Dangerous. Definitely a sexual predator. If I let my guard down for even a second-

"Hyaugh!"

I let out a strange noise that was a cross between a gasp and a cry when I suddenly felt something wet slide across the shell of my ear.

Whirling around, I saw that, strangely, there was nobody behind me.

What the hell?

"Nya? What's the matter, nya?"

"Er, no, I just thought…"

When I turned back around to face Kuroka I saw her grinning mischievously with her hands folded under her chest.

No way. She couldn't have done anything. I don't sense anyone behind me, and Kuroka hasn't moved an inch from where she's standing either.

Strange…

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I felt something beginning to stroke my ears and tail.

I quickly covered my mouth with a hand to avoid letting my voice out as the invisible molester continued to touch me.

Okay, for sure Kuroka has something to do with this. She's just standing there watching me with a smug smile on her face.

Placing a hand on her hip, the Nekoshou sashayed towards me, her hips swaying back and forth hypnotically.

"Oh dear, what's wrong, nya? Do you not feel well?"

What the hell is with Vali's team and groping me?! Are they all sexual predators?! Well, I can't really imagine Arthur doing anything like this, but Bikou probably would…

Wait, that doesn't matter right now!

Kuroka was now almost completely on me, pressing her sizable chest into my face.

"If you're sick, I can help take you to your room and take care of you, nya."

This woman is dangerous! Too dangerous! Her attempts at seducing me were slowly chipping away at my self-control. Any more than this and I'm sure I'll cave in to her whims. I'll have to put a stop to this now. Focusing all my willpower into driving away the impure thoughts, I stared up at Kuroka defiantly.

"Hehe…" I managed to chuckle through the debilitating bliss that was emanating from my wolf appendages. "What's your angle, Kuroka? I don't really believe you're the kind to just throw yourself on someone like this."

A look of surprise crossed the woman's face before her sultry smile replaced it.

"Well, well, you're resisting for much longer than I thought, nya," Kuroka said with a hint of surprise. "Alright, I'll tell you. Let's bear a child together, nya."

Even though she said those words in an extremely suggestive manner, there was slight pleading note to it.

"Having a child with dragon-like being would surely make that child extremely powerful, nya," Kuroka continued to explain. "I already tried with Valerie, but she said she only prefers masochists, nya. That's why I'm going to ask you now."

I think… I understand what's going on here now. Except it's getting kind of hard to think with this constant stimulation.

She wants to revive her race. Not only that, but she wants her race to be even more powerful than before.

Crap, body getting hot…

No! No, no, no! Focus!

Shaking my head, I forced myself to drive those thoughts out of my head. As much as I wanted to run my hands all over the seductive Nekoshou's beautiful, smooth skin. To let her toy with my body like-

Stoooop!

No! I can't continue that line of thinking any further!

Shoving Kuroka away from me, I stumbled back and tried to regain my senses again through the haze of lust that had clouded my mind. There's no doubt about it. She's using her abilities to play with my mind. In a situation like this I have to remain strong.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up straight and met Kuroka's eyes with my own.

"Unfortunately," I said, trying my best to keep my voice steady. "You'll have to start raising flags to get to my route if you want those H-scenes. I'm not so easy to just let any old seductress have her way with me."

This time, the Nekoshou was visibly shocked that I had broken free of whatever spell she had placed me under.

"Interesting. I see why Valerie has her eyes on you," Kuroka said while licking her lips. "You really know how to get a girl going, nya. Alright, I'll play your game and conquer your route, nya. Look forward to it."

Kuroka turned her back to me and flashed me a wink before sashaying out of the room, her twin tails swishing playfully behind her.

As soon as she was gone, the twin presences massaging my ears and tail immediately disappeared. Sighing in relief, I crumpled to my knees.

Jeez. I'm sweating so much that my clothes are drenched.

But… I guess Kuroka really isn't a bad person. If she really wanted to, she probably could've turned up the heat and forced me down. The fact that she didn't shows that she's either sane enough to know that hurting me would bring the wrath of the ORC on her, or that she genuinely has a good heart.

Picking myself up off the ground, I began heading to my room to take a nice, cold shower to wash off the sweat and clear my head of the remaining inappropriate thoughts I was having.

After coming out of a refreshing shower, I was immediately told by Rias that we were heading off to gather information on Loki and Fenrir. As we had discussed earlier, I contacted Saji and kidnapped him to bring him with us to where we were going to speak to Midgardsormr. Apparently, the presence of the other Heavenly Dragons would allow us to contact him so Tannin also had to come with us. In the end, we didn't learn much except for the fact that Mjölnir, or rather a copy of it, would work against Loki, while magical sealing chains called Gleipnir would work on Fenrir. In other words, a good old treasure hunt.

"Guhehehe…"

I accidentally let out a creepy laugh at the prospect of finding more ancient artifacts.

Unfortunately, my dreams were shattered in an instant.

* * *

The next day after our meeting with Midgardsormr, the Sitri group and our group were all gathered in the basement of my house when Azazel-sensei suddenly appeared with an ornate war hammer in hand.

"Here, I brought the replica of Mjölnir ," he muttered with a hint of frustration. "Odin was in possession of it all along."

I had thought we would have to go digging into ancient Dwarven Ruins filled with undead monsters, automatons, and traps to find it, but here it was, in front of my face without me having to lift a finger to get it.

I grabbed the handle of the hammer that Azazel-sensei was offering and tested its weight. It was certainly a lot lighter than I expected. Now, if I remember the legends I read about it…

Pouring a bit of magic into it, I reared my arm back and threw the hammer at the wall at the other end of the room. The hammer began crackling with electricity as it flew through the air before striking the wall with enough force to shake the entire building and send cracks from the wall to nearly halfway across the room.

Now that… is a lot of firepower. If this is just a replica than what kind of monster is the actual weapon?

"Woooo!" Bikou whistled in awe. "Good thing you didn't pour too much power into that or else the entire building would've come down on us."

"No kidding…" I murmured as I went to retrieve the hammer and store it inside my Vault.

"Oh, right, Bikou. Sun Wukong and Yu Long are looking for you. The old man told me to tell you that he's going to be reforming you as soon as he has the chance to," Azazel-sensei said nonchalantly.

Almost immediately, Bikou's complexion turned ten shades lighter as sweat began pouring from his forehead.

"Ahaha…" He laughed nervously. "I-I see…"

"Anyways," Azazel-sensei said, turning his attention away from the monkey-man that was having a nervous breakdown and faced us. "I'm going to be going over the plan one more time. The Sitri party is to transport the rest of you including Loki and Fenrir to an isolated location far away from the agreed meeting site. I'll go over the details with them later. Next, Saya and Valerie are to fight Loki while the remnants of the Gremory party and Valerie party are to seal and eliminate Fenrir with the chains. Understood?"

We all answered in collective agreement.

"Good, now Saji."

"Eh?" Saji started when the spotlight suddenly fell on him. "Me?"

Azazel-sensei nodded.

"You'll be going with Saya and Valerie and supporting them with your Sacred Gear."

"Wh-What?! No way, no way, no way! I'll be killed in an instant!" Saji protested while waving his hands frantically.

In response, the Fallen Angel just laughed jovially.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll be having you do some special training at the Grigori's HQ," Azazel-sensei said with a wink. "Of course, if that's okay with you, Sona?"

Kaichou nodded.

"Yes, of course. Please go ahead."

Ah… Looks like Saji's going to be having a taste of what Azazel-sensei believes is training.

Suddenly, flashbacks of my training with Tannin flooded my mind, making me shiver.

Yeah. Good luck, my friend.

I stared at him sympathetically as Azazel-sensei grabbed him by the collar and began dragging him, kicking and screaming, into the glowing magic circle before the both of the disappeared in a flash of light.

For the rest of the day, we were left to our own devices and at some point I had ended up relaxing in the same room alone with Valerie.

An awkward silence pervaded the room until I finally decided to speak up.

"So… What exactly is your goal in life?" I asked her.

Valerie glanced up from her book for a second before snapping it shut and smirking.

"To fight strong enemies, to conquer cute girls, and to beat you at your peak," she answered.

That second part didn't seem to quite fit in with those other two. Wait, conquer cute girls… Does that mean she has a harem?! And judging by what she said to me earlier… she's planning to add me into that?!

For some reason that's even more threatening than her battle lust.

"Well," I said with a sigh. "Unfortunately for you I'm not planning on losing to you and you'll need to raise a lot more of my flags if you want to conquer me."

Valerie chuckled at that.

"I'm looking forward to the time when I can face you for real. Ah… Just thinking about it makes me excited."

Ahaha… I don't think I'll ever get her.

* * *

 **[Partner, are you sure about this?]**

" _Don't worry, Ddraig. I'd like to think that my mind isn't so fragile anymore. Besides, if anything goes wrong I'm sure you'll drag me out of there, right?"_

The dragon sighed at my blatant optimism towards diving into the psyche of the Boosted Gear, which hosts a collective consciousness of evil, apparently. Inside of the Sacred Gear lies the wills of the previous owners that have been stewing in a soup of malice which is why Juggernaut Drive is so incredibly dangerous.

Well… here goes nothing.

Closing my eyes, I emptied my mind before diving into Boosted Gear. When I opened my eyes again, I was floating in an endless pool of darkness while surrounding me was various people of different races and genders standing or sitting in chairs.

They must be the previous owners, but… all of them look lifeless. Their eyes just stare blankly in front of them with no regard to anything else.

Hm… I honestly don't see why Ddraig was so against letting me in here. I can definitely feel the intense pressure, but I'm not exactly at risk at losing myself or anything. It's most likely in a hibernating state right now. As long as I'm not activating Juggernaut Drive, they probably won't affect me.

Well it doesn't look like I'll be able to do much right now so I might as well-

Hyah?! What the-?! Something's touching my body?! Is somebody taking advantage of my defenseless body while I'm in here? I have to get out of here!

Focusing as hard as I can, I try to get my consciousness to return to my body. Once I feel that I have control of it again, I open my eyes to see who my assailant was.

"A-Akeno?!"

My raven-haired senpai was poised on top of me, completely naked with a longing look in her eyes.

"Saya… I… I want you right now… I need you…" she whispered.

Her voice held certain desperation in it. Not the kind of desperation that came with unbearable lust, but the kind that's begging for help.

Immediately my hand went to caress her face.

"Akeno, what's wrong?" I asked as gently as I could.

Although, I can already guess. She hasn't exactly been herself lately when Baraqiel showed up. That fact that he's here now probably brought on a horde of unpleasant memories for her.

"It's…" For a moment there, it seemed like Akeno wanted to spill out everything, but she ended up holding herself back and shook her head. "I just… I need to stay with you… just like this… please…"

Her voice wavered as tears dripped from the corner of her eyes down onto my cheeks.

If she doesn't want to talk about it right now, then its' best if I don't push for it.

Smiling I nodded before sitting up and patting my lap.

"Here," I said. "Lay your head down here. I'll stay with you for as long as you want."

Akeno just stared at my lap looking apprehensive.

Really now. Just because she's technically my senpai doesn't mean I can't take care of her for a change.

Gently taking her head in my hands, I laid her down on top of my lap and began stroking her head.

"It's alright," I cooed. "It's alright. Everything's alright. I'm here with you. I'll always be by your side."

"Ah… Okaa-san…"

Heh. I guess I kind do seem like a mother right now. Kind of funny, considering I've never been an actual mother yet, surprisingly.

The two of us stayed like that for a good while until I heard Akeno's breathing slow down into quiet, drawn out breaths.

Asleep, huh?

Taking out a blanket from my Vault, I draped it over her, careful not to wake Akeno up.

As I was caring for the sleeping girl, the door to my room opened and Rias and Asia stepped inside fresh from the baths.

"A-Akeno? Why are-?"

Before Rias could continue her question, I put a finger to my lips and shushed her.

"Akeno-senpai looks so happy right now," Asia commented

"Yeah… I guess she does. It's nice to see her smiling again," Rias added.

It really is relieving to see Akeno like this.

"Say, you two," I said without looking up from Akeno's glowing smile. "Why don't we let Akeno sleep with us tonight? I'd feel bad for waking her up like this."

"Eh? B-But…"

Rias looked a bit apprehensive at the idea, but Asia immediately nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I think so too. I was worried that Akeno-senpai wasn't going to feel better for a while," she said.

Sighing in defeat, Rias crossed her arms moved to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"Fine. I suppose I'll make an allowance this time."

In my lap, Akeno stirred as if she was about to wake up, but quickly returned to a deep sleep while mumbling something under her breath. I gently picked the girl up and placed her on my bed before climbing in to join her as Rias and Asia quickly fought over each other about who would get to sleep next to me. In the end, Asia managed to secure a spot next to me as I awkwardly tried to hold onto Akeno while Rias was on her other side.

Tomorrow… Tomorrow is our showdown with Loki, but for now… let me enjoy this brief moment of peace.

* * *

It's time.

Night has descended upon us as we waited on the roof of a high-rise for the dreaded moment we would have to face Loki and Fenrir.

Baraqiel stood at the very front of our group, arms crossed in front of his burly frame along with Rosweisse who had donned a beautifully ornate silver armor. Tannin hovered menacingly above us as each beat of his wings blew strong winds all over us. Kaichou's group stood at the very back, save Saji who was still training, ready to transport us to the battlefield so Odin can carry out his meeting with the Japanese Gods in peace. Valerie's team stood the closest to us with the girl herself at the front.

Tension permeated the air and it almost made it hard to breath. My heart pounded in my chest so fact I thought it might leap out of my throat at any moment.

It's been so long since I felt like this. The fear and adrenaline that comes with facing a godlike being is unparalleled. I can't even tell if my hands are shaking because I'm so terrified or if I'm just that excited.

"He's here…" Rias whispered as she readied herself just as a hole formed in the space above us.

Right on cue, the trickster god slipped out of the hole wearing a plastic smile followed by the massive grey wolf.

As soon as he appeared, Kaichou's team went into action. They immediately began activating the large scale transportation circle that was readied beforehand as Baraqiel covered the hotel in an invisible barrier.

Even though Loki saw all of this happening, he didn't make a move to prevent it. Instead, his smile grew even wider as he looked down on us.

In the next instant all of us had been successfully transported to a spacious field.

"Kuhuhu. It's cute how you all think you have a chance at beating me," the Norse god taunted while spreading his arms. "Alright. Go on. I'll allow you the first move."

I glanced at Valerie who glanced at me in return before we both nodded simultaneously and stepped forward.

 **[Balance Breaker: Iron Fortress!]**

 _ **[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]**_

I stood clad in another variant of the scale mail I had formed. The armor now almost tripled my appearance in size. After getting destroyed by Fenrir, I noticed that these two were on a completely different level of danger. That's why I created a new variant that focuses on defense rather than offense. The tradeoff is that I can't move as fast, but the two newly formed tower shields attached to my gauntlets should be strong enough to ward off most attacks. Meanwhile, Valerie stood next to me in her standard Balance Breaker form.

"Puhahahaha! Amazing! I get face the Two Heavenly Dragons together at the same time! Wonderful! Splendid! Superb!"

Not wanting to listen to him ramble on for any longer, I flew towards him, shields raised in front of me as Valerie followed behind me. As soon as magic projectiles began bouncing off of the shields, Valerie boosted out from my cover and circled around Loki who was concentrating his fire on me.

As Loki realized I was acting as a diversion, he immediately turned his attacks on Valerie who swerved through the air, easily dodging all of his attacks. Taking advantage of the opening, I lowered my shields and reared my arm back as I flew towards him.

My fist collided with the barrier Loki had formed around him and I simultaneously consumed all of my Boosts by forcing it into a thruster on my gauntlet. There was a huge explosion accompanied by the sound of glass shattering as I managed to punch through Loki's barrier, but at the same time I was thrown back by the force of the explosion.

"Hoh? Not bad," Loki commented as he raised a hand towards me.

Before he could fire anything though, a thin beam of energy struck him in the back and exploded. The radius of the explosion forced me to fly backwards to avoid getting caught in it. When the dust finally settled, a sizeable crater was made in the ground. The Norse god had disappeared, letting me see Valerie hovering across from me with her finger pointed towards me.

That was certainly surprising. I didn't expect an attack that small to be so destructive.

But…

"Kuhahaha! Not bad! Not bad at all!"

Loki appeared above us while laughing and sneering at us. Other than his clothes being a bit singed, he didn't have a single scratch on him.

Well… Might as well use Mjölnir now.

Drawing the hammer from my Vault, I increased it size and charged at Loki.

The trickster god's eyes widened when he saw the hammer before rage settled on his face.

"Tch. That damn hammer is going to be a problem…"

Since it was so light, I could easily swing the hammer that was twice my size with relative speed. The sparks coming off of Mjölnir now enveloped my entire body as Loki repeatedly dodged away.

"How troublesome…" Loki growled before he snapped his fingers. "Fenrir!"

The grey wolf howled and crouched down, ready to pounce, but before it could move Rias raised her arms and summoned a massive golden chain shot towards Fenrir and wrapped around its body, preventing it from moving.

"Hoh? Gleipnir, is it? Pukukuku…"

Instead of looking surprised or nervous, Loki just started to laugh creepily when Fenrir was captured.

"Sköll! Hati! Come out and play!"

Two separate howls that did not originate from Fenrir resonated throughout the night sky as a pair of wolves stalked through an open portal. One's fur was grey, like Fenrir's but it didn't have the same sheen that reflected the moonlight. The other's fur was golden that seemed to radiate its own light.

Ah… that's right. Fenrir had kids… This could be a problem.

Howling in synchronization, the two wolves ran past Valerie and me and instead charged towards Rias and the others behind us.

Suddenly I felt something explode across my back, sending me reeling.

Dammit! I don't have time to be worrying about the others right now.

Returning my attention back to my fight with Loki, I saw that Valerie had started flinging spells that looked similar to the magic Loki was using to keep him busy. Unfortunately, he either blocked them all or any attacks that hit didn't even put a scratch on him.

"Tch, Mjölnir!" Holding the hammer up towards the sky, I focused all of my magic into it. As the hammer began to grow bigger and bigger, storm clouds began to gather around in the sky above me as lightning crackled across them.

I can feel it! So much power! If it's this, then…

"Scatter!"

Roaring, I brought the hammer down on the trickster god. Along with it, the storm clouds parted to let a massive lightning bolt come crashing down with it. The resulting effect was even more amazing than Valerie's beam attack. The entire world turned white for a second as my eyes were blinded by the immense light and my ears were deafened by the following boom as the lightning struck the ground.

By the time I managed to regenerate my semi-fried retinas and bleeding eardrums, I saw Loki floating in front of me. His robes were in tatters and he was bleeding in several places as well.

So it wasn't enough to kill him, but I did manage to hurt him. That's a start.

Scowling the man spit out a wad of blood before glaring at me, his smile now erased from his face.

"As I thought. That hammer is a problem. In that case, I'll just kill you first."

The Norse god raised his hand at me.

I… can't move?! Shit! I used up too much juice in that last attack!

"You shouldn't underestimate me, you know."

Valerie suddenly appeared behind Loki while saying those words as her fist glowed with a mixture of demonic magic and Norse magic.

Just as her fist was about to connect, a silver blur brushed by Loki and disappeared, taking Valerie along with it. All that was left behind was a slight trail of blood that lead my eyes to where it ended up.

Valerie's armor was shattered as half of her body was held tightly in Fenrir's mouth. She was struggling to force the beasts jaws open, but to no avail as her blood spilled from its slavering mouth.

Dammit! It got free?!

"Kuhahaha! Pathetic! Is that all you can do?" Loki taunted as Valerie tried to fight against the monster.

Gritting my teeth, I flew towards Valerie with both my shields raised.

It managed to cut through my armor last time, but I should be able to survive this now that it's been thickened and reinforced.

My hopes were dashed when a silver flash appeared before my eyes as both my arms were completely and cleanly severed. My arms, along with the Mjölnir replica fell towards the ground as I lost my balance and tumbled through the sky before crashing down next to my severed limbs.

"Kahahaha! Ridiculous! Pathetic! To think that both of the Heavenly Dragons would be beaten so easily!"

"Grrr… Damn you!" Tannin roared in response as he redirected his attention from the golden wolf he had been fighting towards Fenrir.

The silver wolf flashed and reappeared behind Tannin as a multitude of deep cuts appeared across his body.

Impossible…

We don't stand a chance…

My vision began to fade as I watched my comrades try to fight off Fenrir's offspring. No matter how much they wounded the wolves, they would just regenerate in an instant. Not to mention we were steadily getting pushed back. The wounds and fatigue began to pile on. It was too evident. At the same time, multiple shadow versions of Midgardsormr sprouted from Loki's shadow and joined the fight.

Damn! What the hell am I doing just laying around when everyone else fighting so hard.

Gritting my teeth and fighting through the pain, I pushed myself back onto my feet before pulling a bottle of phoenix tears from my Vault and downing the contents. We were supplied with a container of these to prepare for the fight. Each person was given at least five while Valerie and I had ten each.

That's right. What the hell was I thinking? Since when was I the type to just give up?

A hot, searing pain rushed through my body and concentrated on my shoulders where my arms were severed, forcing me back down onto my knees. At the same time, my arms on the ground began burning up and the fire flowed towards where I was missing limbs. The process continued for a few more seconds until the fire began to die down, revealing a pair of charred limbs under them. Soon, the fire damage healed and my arms were back to normal. It was as if them getting cut off was just a bad dream. Once my body finished healing, I began to feel myself begin to rejuvenate. Energy flowed back into my body, returning me to the state I was in before the fight began.

Seeing my revival, Valerie smirked down at me from her position inside Fenrir's mouth.

"Saya," she called. "I'll kill Fenrir. The rest of you deal with Loki and the other two."

What..?

Before I could even ask what she meant, the girl began chanting.

"I, who am about to awaken,"

That's..!

"Am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God."

So she's planning to use Juggernaut Drive…

"I envy the "infinite", and I grieve at the "dream"."

As Valerie was chanting, I saw Kuroka out of the corner of my eye casting some kind spell at her.

"I shall become the White Dragon of Supremacy."

The chant was coming to an end and strange voices began invading my thoughts. Voices that cursed the world and yearned for destruction. Voices that would drive one mad if they listened to them long enough.

"And I shall take you to the limits of white paradise!"

 _ **[Juggernaut Drive!]**_

As the activation was called out, both Valerie and Fenrir disappeared into a swirling portal.

"Nyaha~. Good luck out there, Val-chan~!" Kuroka shouted over the din of the battle.

I see… So Valerie prepared for something like this. If it's Juggernaut Drive… then maybe she can actually kill that damn thing.

Alright! Psyching myself up, I once again squared off with the mischievous god.

 **[Balance Breaker Shift: Blade Dancer!]**

My crimson armor shifted and changed around me into the familiar battle dress form I created first.

Now that Valerie and I weren't working as a team anymore, I couldn't afford to keep turtling. The best way to move forward now would be to boost my speed and attack to their maximum.

"Akeno!"

Rias' voice carried far across the battlefield as she screamed out for her.

I glanced in their direction just in time to see the golden wolf bearing down on Akeno.

My momentary lull in concentration gave Loki all the time he needed to begin launching attacks at me, forcing me to focus on my fight with him. At the same time, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Baraqiel flying straight towards Akeno with unbridled determination. I swear. Just for a moment there, I thought I saw an image of a beautiful, mature woman that resembled Akeno flying right behind Baraqiel with an equal look of determination etched across her features. Together, the both of them reached out, lightning sparking across their finger tips, before sending a massive attack straight into the side of the golden wolf, sending it flying away.

Ah, of course. I'm not the only one that would charge in blindly for Akeno. Alright, old man. I'm leaving Akeno in your care. I hope your feelings will get across to her.

Turning my back on the battle raging behind me, I returned my full attention to Loki who was still peppering me magic attacks.

Now… the only problem now is to find out how to restrain Loki for me to nail him with Mjölnir. As long as I keep swinging it around blindly, I'll just tire myself out.

But it's clear that Loki's growing more and more frustrated by the fact that I kept dodging his attacks.

"Tch, enough!"

Throwing open his robes, more shadowy snakes slithered out and lunged towards me simultaneously.

As I was rearing back Mjölnir to strike down the conjurations, a different black shadow sprouted out of the ground in front of me and completely devoured the shadow Midgardsormrs. The shadowy mass congregated into a singular form of a traditional western dragon.

" _Good! It seems we made it in time!"_

An unfamiliar voice crackled through my earpiece.

" _Can you hear me, Saya Hyoudou? There's no time to explain thoroughly, but I need you to communicate with Saji! His special training resulted him in going berserk. If he stays like this any longer, he may truly lose his mind!"_

Saji… turned into that dragon? Just what the hell did they do to him?

All of a sudden, the swarming mass of shadows twisted and convulsed before multiple tendrils shot out of it and homed in on any life form in its vicinity. Four of the tendrils latched onto my arms and legs while a fifth found its way to my neck and wrapped itself around it. Almost as soon as the first one touched me, I started feel my power being drained away.

Everyone else was in a similar state of restraint on the field. Even Loki seemed to be having trouble breaking free of the draining tendrils.

Dammit! At this rate not only Loki, but all of us..!

Closing my eyes, I focused and tried reaching out with my consciousness. I probed around for any sign of Saji's consciousness, but it was like I was wading through mud.

This… idiot..!

" _Saaaaajiiiii!"_

Forgoing any finesse, I sent out a mental shockwave to blow away whatever was blocking my access.

" _U-uh…"_

There! There he is!

" _Saji! Can you hear me? It's Saya!"_

" _Wh-What..? Saya-chan? What's going on? It's so dark."_

" _Just shut up and focus, okay? You need to listen to my instructions right now."_

" _Uh, huh? O-Okay. Right!"_

" _What can you see right now?"_

" _Darkness… it's almost like I'm surrounded by shadows… wait! I see something! Gold, silver, and… a lot of blurry shapes."_

That's a start.

" _Alright, listen. Your power is going out of control right now. I need you to focus on the gold and silver forms. Now see if you can find me. I should be right behind you."_

" _Um… Ah! I think I see you. Yeah. There's no mistake. Your aura is extremely unique so-"_

" _Yeah, whatever, doesn't matter right now. Now turn one-eighty and focus your power on that guy. Gold, silver, and guy across from me. Focus on those while letting everything else go. I'm counting on you."_

" _R-Right! Leave it to me!"_

Almost instantly, I felt the bonds restraining me begin to loosen. Returning my consciousness back to my body, I opened my eyes and saw that Saji had successfully reigned in his powers. Loki and his two pet wolves were still struggling to break free of the tendrils, but the rest of us were now free.

Now… let's end this.

Once again, I began pouring magic into the hammer in my hand, this time filling it up with as much juice as I can.

"Yoooouuu! Get away from me!" Loki screeched as he pointed his finger at me and fired multiple lasers at me in a blind panic. "Do you think you've won?! Diediediediediiiiieeee!"

Not wanting to lose concentration, I took the attacks head on. The lasers cleanly pierced through multiple parts of my body that my armor wasn't covering while easily blasting off chunks of the thin armor as well.

Once I filled the hammer with as much as I could give it, I rocketed towards the immobile god, my entire body enveloped by the lightning sparking off the hammer. Storm clouds filled the sky again as random pillars of lightning fell from the sky and cracked against the ground.

"Scatter! Into elemental dust!"

Roaring, I brought the hammer down full force against the Norse god.

The entire battlefield was enveloped by a blinding white light, and for a brief moment, the world around me seemed to cease to exist.

* * *

"Haaaahhh… Finally some peace and quiet…" I let out a heavy sigh as I flopped down onto one of the velvet couches decorating our club room.

That whole ordeal with Loki really took a lot out of all of us, but in the end, a lot of good things came out of it. Most notably was Akeno patching up her relationship with Baraqiel.

Let's see… We managed to capture and restrain an unconscious Loki while eliminating his pet wolves. Valerie… well, we didn't see what happened to her after she was teleported away with Fenrir. I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that she won, though.

I glanced over to the side where Asia was sitting to see her skimming through a guidebook for Kyoto.

That's right. The school trip is coming up soon.

"Saya, we should go shopping when we have time to prepare for the school trip," Asia said, her eyes peeking over the top of the book.

"Indeed," Xenovia added while hitting her fist to her palm. "We need to go underwear shopping in preparation."

Underwear..? How exactly does that fit in to the stuff we have to get?

"If that's the case then a pure white set is a must!" Irina chipped in.

Oh great. Now Irina joined in.

"But I have heard that black lace is trending the most right now…" Xenovia said.

She keeps up to date on lingerie trends? That's unexpected.

"E-Eh..?" Asia looked at a loss at the conversation going between Xenovia and Irina.

Hm… What would look good on each of them…

Asia definitely should wear white… maybe a babydoll to really make her look like an angel. Xenovia I feel would look good in a mature black lace set complete with stockings and a garterbelt. Irina would probably wear a white chemise. It's similar to a babydoll, but more risqué.

Yeah… That would be nice…

"Saya!"

"Eep!"

I jumped in my seat as Xenovia's face appeared mere inches from mine.

"Y-yes?"

I wasn' thinking aloud, was I?

"What do you think?" Xenovia asked as she pulled back and stood with her hands on her hips.

Crap! I was too busy fantasizing so I wasn't listening to the conversation at all.

"U-Uh… Wh-Why don't we go shopping and I'll help everyone pick something out?" I suggested.

"Yes! I thank that's a wonderful idea!" Irina exclaimed while clapping her hands together.

Sighing, I leaned back into the couch and looked at Rossweisse who was sitting in the corner of the room, hugging her knees and mumbling to herself. Apparently Odin just ditched her here when he went back.

Hopping off of the couch I walked over to her side and patted her shoulder.

"Um… Are you alright, Rossweisse-san?" I asked gently.

The woman sniffed and glanced up at me with teary eyes.

"I've been abandoned haven't I?" She whimpered. "Uuu… I've been fired haven't I? I… I… Uwaaaahhh!"

Sobbing, the grown woman threw herself into me and began crying into my shirt.

Ah… Th-this is kind of pathetic isn't it…

"D-Don't worry, Rossweisse-san, I'm sure Odin hasn't abandoned you at all," I said, trying to reassure her.

"But if I go back now I'm sure I'll be chastised for not doing my job properly as Odin's guard!"

"W-Well… I'm sure we can arrange something to do for you here, then…" I said while glancing over at Rias and silently mouthing for help.

My master smiled and got up before she walked over and placed a hand on the Valkyrie's head.

"Yes. That's right. I have already found you a job as a teacher at this school. I've heard you always wanted to be a teacher, right?"

Um… Is this..?

Rossweisse perked up upon hearing that and raised her head to look at Rias.

"Yes that's right. My dream has always to become a teacher, but my duties as a Valkyrie prevented that," she said before her voice wavered. "C-Can I really become a teacher here..?"

Rias smiled and nodded.

"Of course," she replied while taking out some kind of legal document. "See? All the paperwork is already done."

"Ah! It is! It's all there!" Rossweisse exclaimed as she snatched the document and poured over its contents. "Amazing! The pay here is far better than my pay as a Valkyrie!"

Rias' smile changed instantly changed from a good natured one into an evil one.

"You know, if you decide to become a Devil, you'll also receive all kinds of other benefits," she said while producing more documents from seemingly thin air.

I see what's going on here… Odin didn't just forget about her.

Grabbing the documents, the Valkyrie's eyes bulged out of their sockets as she stared at them.

"Th-This is! The insurance is this cheap?! Not to mention there are tax refunds?! These living conditions are far better than in Valhalla!"

Yep. I think I can see where this is going, too.

"In addition, the Gremory household provides benefits such as a section of land to your name that provides a monthly income as well as political protection."

"I see…" Clutching the documents in her hand, Rossweisse jumped to her feet and took Rias' hand. "I'll do it! I will join gladly join you!"

Ah… the mind of a single adult woman with no past experience is quite… fragile it seems. Looks like whoevers scheme this was ended up going off without a hitch.

Rias took out a Rook piece, her final Evil Piece, from her pocket and placed it in Rossweisse's hand.

"Very well. I welcome you into our Peerage."

The room glowed with a red light as the chess piece sank into the Valkyrie. A moment later, a pair of bat-like wings sprouted from her back.

So we have a full Peerage now. Not to mention it's full of pretty girls of all types. Well Gasper is a male, but… he may as well be female at this point. Ah… instead of hell, this feels more like heaven.

After the ritual was finished, Rossweisse turned to face the rest of the room and bowed.

"I look forward to working with you all. Now that I have become a Devil, I feel I should reintroduce myself. My name is Rossweisse, a former Valkyrie working under Odin."

""Yes, we look forward to working with you, too.""

With this, another chapter in this life has come to a close with the arrival of a new ally and the excitement for the impending school trip. Although we've all been through some rough times, I feel like its peaceful times like these that make life truly worth living.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** B+

 **Endurance:** B+

 **Agility:** A++

 **Magic:** C++

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow, Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais, Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos, Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn, Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung, Valmanway, Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Balance Breaker – Blade Dancer:** EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that combines it with the Dimensional Vault to summon blades.

 **Balance Breaker - Iron Fortress:** EX - An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that forgoes speed and offense for thicker, magic resistant armor.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Hero's Ballad:** (N/A)

 **Z***ra Weave:** (N/A)

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

 **Makiage:** A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.

* * *

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 8

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 8

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 2

 **Ravel Phenex:** Rank 8

 **Irina Shidou:** Rank 6

 **Kuroka:** Rank 5


	26. Panic in Kyoto 1

**AN:** It's been a long time coming, but here's the long awaited update to Vol. 1. Let's kick off the Kyoto with a bang as a new ability is showcased. Once again, thank you to everyone for all your continued support and love for the series.

* * *

"Augha…"

Groaning in pain at the soreness in my muscles; cracks of sunlight streamed through the curtains and landed on my face. To either side of me lay the naked and still slumbering forms of Rias and Akeno hugging onto each of my arms, pinning them down while Asia and Koneko lay haphazardly strewn on top of me. Yumi and Xenovia also decided to join us last night and were now hugging onto my head as if it was a stuffed toy. Even Gasper had made his way into the room at some point, not wanting to be left out but he was still in his cardboard box the last time I saw him. Last night sure was chaotic with the huge pillow war that took place. In the end, everyone fell asleep from exhaustion so nothing actually ended up happening.

Well… I can't exactly say that I'm not happy, but… my body is seriously not going to last if this is going to be a regular occurrence. Luckily, the school trip was just around the corner so it's just going to be Asia, Yumi, Xenovia, Irina, and me for the duration.

Now how exactly am I going to get out of this situation? My arms, legs, abdomen, and head were all pinned down.

Oh, wait! I still have a lifeline!

"Gasper!" I quietly called out, hoping the Dhampire wasn't still asleep.

To my relief, the trap's head popped out of the top of the cardboard box and stared at me. His face instantly went red before he retreated back into his box.

"Y-Yes?! What is it?!"

His voice came out as a high-pitched squeak, somewhat muffled by the box.

Ah… well… I guess even if he dresses like a girl, that doesn't mean he's comfortable with seeing seven naked girls all in one place. Actually, now that I think about it… is he gay or straight?

No, no, no. That doesn't matter right now.

"Come help me!" I whisper-yelled. "Use your Sacred Gear and get me out of here!"

"E-E-E-Eeeeeehhhhh?!" Gasper exclaimed in panic. Well at least he has the decency to keep his voice quiet.

"Hurry! I can't feel my limbs! I'll buy you your favorite sweets later so please!"

I could hear Gasper gasp at the mention of my bribe. Yep. It really doesn't take much to get Gasper going.

In the next second, I found myself going from lying under a tangled mass of bodies to sitting comfortably on my bedroom floor with a blanket draped over my shoulders. Gasper stood next to me, awkwardly rubbing his arm while staring at the wall.

Well now. I'm happy that it was Gasper that got this ability. If it was any other guy, I'm sure he'd use it to do all sorts of indecent things to girls.

Getting up from the floor, I wrapped the blanket around myself to save Gasper from any further embarrassment.

"Thanks, Gasper," I said as I patted him on his head.

"N-No problem…"

Looking back at the bed, I noticed that everyone had begun clawing at empty space where I used to be as if it would somehow bring me back to bed.

Well now. Let's kick off the day!

* * *

After a somewhat hectic morning, the entirety of our club went back to the Underworld to introduce our latest member, Rossweisse, to Rias' parents. She was currently discussing something quite seriously with Rias' dad. Something about establishing a school to train Valkyries and Norse magic practitioners within Gremory territory.

Unfortunately, Sirzechs-nii-san was nowhere to be seen. Apparently he was going to arrive later.

Meanwhile, the rest of us were sitting in the lounge enjoying tea with Rias' mother and Millicas.

"So, Saya, I hear the second years are going on a school trip to Kyoto soon, yes?" She asked.

"That's right. We're scheduled to leave a few days from now," I reply.

"My, how nice. I remember when Rias brought home some Japanese pickles from Kyoto last year. They were quite nice."

I'm going to have to agree with her there. Japanese pickles are pretty good.

"Then, I could bring some more back for you. I'm actually planning to buy some for myself."

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"Its fine, its fine! I'll also bring back some other souvenirs to thank you for taking such good care of me."

"My, my. Thank you very much. I'm glad that Rias has found herself such a wonderful wife," she said jokingly.

"M-Mother!" The aforementioned girl cried out indignantly at the comment.

Ahahaha…

Our light-hearted conversation continued for a little while before a servant came in and told us that Sirzechs was back.

All at once we went to greet the Maou, only to find him talking with a very familiar Devil.

It was none other than Sairaorg Bael.

"Ah, I see the welcoming party is here. It is nice to see you, Rias, Red Dragon Empress," he greeted with a pleasant smile.

"Yes. It is nice to see you, too," Rias returned the greeting before turning her attention to her brother. "Welcome home. It is nice to see you are well."

"Oh, don't worry about being so formal. I don't really do well with all that, but thank you," the Maou said while scratching his cheek.

"Um… Brother, why is Sairaorg here?"

"Right. He came over to deliver some special fruit grown only in the Bael territory. Also, we were just talking about the next Rating Game. He wishes for a battle with no restrictions."

No restrictions? So it's no holds barred. That's pretty dangerous, right?

Seeing the uncertainty in my eyes, Sairaorg grinned and nodded.

"I mean, if I can't handle the abilities of my opponents at their highest, then I won't have the pride to call myself a Bael, much less an heir," he said to my unvoiced question.

This guy… He's definitely not going to go down easily. He's probably as stubborn as me when it comes to living. Actually, he's kind of reminding me of Valerie with that battle hungry look in his eyes.

"Actually, since we have the time, why don't you have a sparring match against Saya, Sairaorg?" Sirzechs suddenly suggested.

Huh? Wait, what?

"Hm… I did say that I wished to test out the Red Dragon's strength," Sairaorg said before turning to Rias. "Is that alright?"

Um… Don't I get any say in this?

"Of course I'm fine with it. How about it, Saya?"

Everyone's eyes turned to me with looks of expectation.

Even though she gave me the choice… I ended up being backed into a corner. How can I say no when everybody here is expecting me to say yes?! Even Millicas is looking up at me with sparkling eyes!

"Alright…" I answered with a defeated sigh.

I was seriously hoping I wouldn't get into another fight so soon after the whole Loki incident, but I guess there's no luck there, huh?

 **[Just get used to it, Partner. My power draws in trouble like this whether you like it or not.]**

Yeah… That's a problem.

On the bright side, I guess this could be counted as intel gathering. If I figure out how this guy fights, then we can probably figure out some strategies to counter him during the Rating Game. The downside is that he'll be able to gather information on me as well.

Sairaorg grinned at my response and clenched his fist.

"Thank you! I shall make the most of this opportunity! Let us have an honest fight!"

Right. Honest, huh? It's going to be honest, alright. I'm just not going to show you my entire hand.

A couple of minutes later, we were all taken to an underground training facility under the Gremory castle. It might as well have been a university campus with how big it was.

Sairaorg stood across from me at a fair distance, dressed only in a tight training suit that showed off his bulging muscles, while everybody else was watching behind glass windows at the sides.

 **[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]**

The stadium shook as the familiar crimson armor once again formed over my body. However, my opponent just stayed in the same spot, not moving an inch.

Is he not going to attack?

He's… waiting for me to make the first move, isn't he?

Well alright then…

Activating my thrusters, I flew towards him with the full intent of launching head-on attack.

He's still not moving… is it a trap?

Using Shundo with the addition of my thrusters, I flew around behind him in an instant and launched a punch at the back of his head.

It made contact with a loud smash, causing the Devil to stumble forward a few steps.

Seriously?! That should've at least knocked him off his feet!

Flying away, I put some distance between us as Sairaorg cracked his neck before turning to face me with a smile.

Haha… He doesn't even look injured… I might as well have just hit him with a yoga ball…

"That was a wonderful attack! You feinted a frontal assault, forcing me to focus my attention in front of me and thus causing tunnel vision. Your punch was also aimed so that any other Devil who took the attack would've been knocked unconscious instantly. However…"

The Devil disappeared from my view before I suddenly felt something pounding into my back.

"That's not enough to take me out."

What the hell?! I didn't even have time to react and defend!

Spinning around in the air, I reoriented myself and began scanning my surroundings for any incoming attacks.

Once again, before I could react, I felt something collide into my back, sending my spiraling through the air. Chunks of my armor were torn out in the area where his attacks landed.

How the hell is he managing this?!

But…

Whirling around, I flipped over a kick as it barely grazed against my helmet.

I think I see his strategy now.

"Hoh? Not bad. How about this?"

As I was flipping over him, his elbow suddenly shot out and sped towards my face. I twisted my body and narrowly avoided it before retreating to as far as I could from the Devil.

Alright… I think I can manage this. His attacks are fairly slow so they should be fairly easy to dodge in normal conditions. The problem is that he combines it with some form of instant movement to mask the speed of his attacks. I'll just have to keep an eye on my blind spots.

Maybe I should get a bit serious now.

"Promotion: Bishop!"

A look of surprise crossed my opponent's at my decision in Promotion. Of course, I had a very good reason for doing this. After all, a certain blacksmith I've been frequenting taught me this incredibly useful magic. Well, I knew how to perform it before, but it was incredibly hard for me to grasp the concept of it so I didn't use it much. She helped me figure out the missing link I needed in order to make the spell work.

"Reinforcement!"

Forcing magic throughout my body, I strengthened my limbs and armor simultaneously. At max output I could probably fight on par with Sairaorg.

The Devil disappeared from sight again although, this time I was ready. Turning around, I crossed my arms in front of me and blocked a punch that was heading towards my face.

Sairaorg's eyes widened in surprise at my sudden toughness and I took advantage of the small opening that gave me. Rearing my head back, I head-butted him causing him to stagger backwards with blood pouring from his nose.

Not letting him rest, I shot forwards and delivered a knee into his abdomen.

Finally recovering, Sairaorg grinned and began launching attacks back at me.

"You surprised me with your unorthodox Promotion," he said in between punches. "I see now that you are using magic to strengthen your body and armor."

"Yeah, but it isn't going to stop there," I replied while deflecting his attacks and hitting back. "I'll give you a little taste of what I can really do."

Jumping backwards, I opened by Vault. Now that I have increased magic reserves and reinforcement, I should be able to handle the strain of using these weapons.

Ripples appeared in the air beside me as a set of swords began slowly peeking out of the air. The first to appear was a silver sword I grew accustomed with through my constant use of it in this life, Clarent. The second to appear was another silver sword that was thinner and didn't have a hand guard, Excalibur Galatine. Third to appear was a pitch black sword that resembled Clarent, Arondight. Fourth to appear was a magnificently ornate longsword, Caliburn. Finally, the last to appear was the holy sword that lies in the center of the others, Caledfwlch, or Excalibur.

With this, all the legendary swords belonging to the Knights of the Round were on the field at once.

 **[Install! Balance Breaker: Holy Knight Camelot!]**

The five swords glowed brightly with golden light before shrinking into orbs that flew inside of my body. After absorbing the swords, my armor began to glow and change forms. Most of the red faded and was replaced by silver while some of it remained. The dragon motif morphed drastically into a design resembling closer to a medieval knight's but the thrusters remained firmly placed on my back. Finally, a massive shield that was as big as my body, with a round center piece, in the shape of a cross with flared ends formed over my left arm.

"So much holy power… How are you maintaining a form like that?" Sairaorg asked incredulously as he stared at my new form.

"Ah… that's a bit complicated to explain. I'm just taking advantage of a loophole…"

Yeah, although the loophole only just buys me enough time to keep this form up for one minute. The Bishop promotion provides me with enough magic to reinforce my body and activate Holy Knight Camelot while also giving me some extra magic resistance. Then, the presence of Lord Camelot, the shield, and Caliburn further increases my overall damage resistance and regeneration. If the shield didn't exist, then I would have turned to ash the instant I activated this form.

 **[Partner… This power is amazing! It's been a while since I felt this good! Gahahah! Let's do this!]**

Now that Ddraig's in a good mood. Let's give this form a little test drive.

 **[Arondight Overload!]**

The thrusters on my back sparked and a massive pillar of light shot out, propelling me forward at near light speed. Raising my shield in front of me, I smashed right into Sairaorg who didn't have time to react.

His body flew across the arena and smashed into the wall. Dust and debris obscured my vision of him as the wall crumbled around Sairaorg. A second later, the cloud was blown away, revealing the male Devil standing and walking towards me. If it wasn't the trail of blood trickling down his forehead then it would've looked like he wasn't even fazed by the attack.

I mean, I did hold back by using the shield to attack instead of one of the swords, but he should be at least a bit dazed.

"Amazing!" The Devil exclaimed as he clapped his hands. "You are as full of surprises as the rumors say, Empress. Unfortunately, it seems we will have to stop here or we might risk destroying the entire training ground. I would rather not damage this property as a guest."

Oh thank goodness. I was afraid that we were going to fight until one of us was out of commission. Dispelling my armor and sending the five swords I used back into my Vault, I stood across from Sairaorg in my uniform while trying to mask the relief I was feeling.

"I agree wholeheartedly, Sairaorg. Let's stop here for today and continue during the Rating Game."

Sairaorg stopped walking once he was in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder with a wide smile on his face.

"Of course! I look forward to our upcoming battle! Now, I'm afraid I must take my leave."

Turning around, Sairaorg grabbed his clothes from one of the lockers near the entrance before leaving the arena.

Once I knew for sure that he was gone, I let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to my knees. Too much. That form uses up way too much power to be effective in a real battle. Sure, the one minute brings my level of power up to match a god's, but the time limit is too strict and the aftermath isn't worth the risk. It looks like my usefulness still only lies in one hit wonders right now. Compared to my glory days I'd say that's pretty disappointing.

Well, I'll worry about Sairaorg and the Rating Game later after the school trip is done. I'm in due need of some R&R.

* * *

Darkness. Once again, I flew through the darkness before arriving at an area bathed with light. The familiar sight of tables and chairs brought some sense of peace, but the people around me frozen like statues were still unnerving.

Although I did say I was going to take a nap on the bullet train on the way to Kyoto, this was my true intention. I want to try and find the secret behind the Juggernaut Drive as soon as possible so I can pocket another tool I can use in fights. The only problem is that I've never made any progress with it no matter how many times I've come here.

"Hmmm~… so this is the current one…"

Huh? A voice?

Spinning around, I saw a beautiful woman with long, flowing blond hair facing me with a smile on her lips.

 **[Elsha. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?]**

"Hello Ddraig. Yes. It has been a while."

Clearing my throat, I smiled back at the woman, Elsha, and curtsied.

"Hello there, miss Elsha, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the current owner of the Boosted Gear. Is it safe to assume that you were one of the former users?" I greeted as pleasantly as I could.

"That is correct. I am one of the two existences in this realm that is capable of movement and thought. However, I usually lie extremely deep within the consciousness which is why you haven't met me yet or the other one yet."

 **[Also, Elsha is the strongest female user in history. Although, I thought that you two weren't going to come out here ever again.]**

"That was the plan, Ddraig, however Belzard showed an express interest in this girl here so I came out to see what she's like. Unfortunately, he couldn't come himself because he's… beginning to fade."

I'm guessing that means the other guy is going to end up like the rest of these former users. That's… I can kind of understand these two's feelings. It must be extremely lonely and torturous to be stuck in here watching the people around you die.

"Anyways, here. Take this," Elsha said as she held out a small black box with a silver keyhole in the center keeping it locked. "You should already have the key to this, correct?"

Key? Does she mean..?

I grabbed the box and suddenly I felt something in my other hand that wasn't there before. I opened up my hand to see that there was a small silver key.

"The key and box are a metaphor for the Boosted Gear's hidden potentials. Your fluid mind and the way you incorporate your own arsenal into strengthening the Boosted Gear is already allowing you to unlock some more of its power. I have to say. Watching you fight proved to be fascinating entertainment."

"Haha. Well, improv is one of my strong points," I replied with a chuckle as I inserted the key into the keyhole.

The next thing I knew, I was bathed by a white light that drowned everything else out. When it finally died down, I found myself sitting back in my seat on the bullet train. Asia was fast asleep beside me while Xenovia and Yumi were still busy chatting about tactics for the upcoming Rating Game. Even on a vacation like this those two can't seem to just relax. Irina on the other hand was busy staring excitedly out the window, watching the scenery speed by.

Looks like I won't be seeing the potential that Elsha woman mentioned anytime soon. Or maybe it just doesn't have a visual representation. Either way it looks like I finally made some progress in regards to the Inner Consciousness.

Well, in any case we still have about one hour until we reach Kyoto. In the meantime, I'll get some much needed sleep.

* * *

Finally arriving in Kyoto, and our hotel, I couldn't help but face palm at the name of the building: Kyoto Sirzechs Hotel. Although, maybe I should've expected this. The Maou's practically have their hands in everything so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if they own their own chain of hotels. In fact, there's a Kyoto Serafall Hotel under construction just a few blocks down. I was kind of looking forward to staying in a Ryokan, but I guess a high class hotel works too.

After a short spiel from the teacher on behavior and being safe in Kyoto, we were all sent to unpack in our rooms with free time four a few hours. As I was walking towards the elevator, Azazel-sensei pulled me to the side and handed me a keycard with a light-hearted wink.

"A special room has been reserved for us in case something comes up," he explained. "It's up on the top floor at the end of the hall on your left."

Ah, of course. We do have to be ready for anything. Although, I do hope that nothing actually happens.

Following Azazel-sensei's instructions, I rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor and easily found my room, considering that it was the only room without an actual room number. Swiping the keycard through the scanner, I opened the door and stepped into a room that you would find in a Ryokan. The floor was covered in tatami mats with an old cathode ray tube TV sitting in the corner of the room.

Hmhm… Not bad. The walls of the room are a little dilapidated and there's a layer of dust covering everything, but it is kind of what I wanted. I just need to remember to clean everything up a little before I go to sleep tonight.

Now then, I suppose it's about time to take advantage of our free time for the rest of the afternoon. First stop should definitely be the Fushimi Inari shrine. That's been one of my favorites.

Walking out the door after dropping off my luggage, I made my way back down the lobby to search for the others in my group.

Finally! It's time to kick loose and have some fun!

"Hawaaa… There are so many gates…" Asia commented, jaw agape at the sight of the countless number of red gates leading to the shrine. "Amazing…"

It really is an amazing sight for first-timers.

Our group continued walking through the numerous tori while taking pictures and enjoying the sights along the way. We stopped about three quarters of the way in to let Asia rest a little while. Compared to the rest of us, Asia had the lowest physical stamina after all.

Leaving Asia to rest with the others, I jogged the rest of the way to the shrine. It was mostly covered in shadows due to the dense foliage, but slight streams of sunlight made their way through, illuminating small parts of the shrine grounds.

Yep. It still looks the same as I remember it. Except… There wasn't anybody else here. The Fushimi Inari was a popular tourist location so there should be at least a few people milling about, but the place was entirely devoid of life except for me.

Something's not right…

I placed a hand behind my back and opened a small rift into my Vault in case I needed to defend myself.

 **[Partner… Looks like we're surrounded. Seems like they're all Youkai.]**

Youkai… I guess Kyoto would be a hotspot for Youkai activity, especially at these shrines, but the fact that I'm singled out like this must mean I walked straight into a trap. Why would they be attacking me, though?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a little girl walked out from behind the shadows. She was dressed in some variation of a miko's outfit. Her golden blonde hair shone beautifully in the strips of sunlight and a bushy tail of the same color swayed gently behind her.

A kitsune? I'm guessing she's the ringleader.

"You…" She growled. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Her question and sudden hostility caught me off guard.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Don't try to deny it! I know you took my mother! Get her!"

Leaves exploded from the trees surrounding me as several black shapes dive-bombed towards me.

Karasu-tengu!

Drawing a short sword, I repelled three staffs that were aimed towards me before turning to face a group of kitsune that came rushing out of the bushes.

"W-Wait!" I cried out as I fended off the constant attacks from the numerous Youkai. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I just got here today!"

"Liar! I won't believe your lies!"

Dammit! Why is this little girl not listening to me?! The first day here in Kyoto and I'm already getting into a fight?!

All I can do right now is to defend myself. If I attack back, I'll probably lose any chance I have in talking this through with the girl.

"Saya!"

I heard Xenovia' voice come from behind me and turned my head to look just as I batted away another attack from the tengu. Xenovia, Irina, and Asia were all standing under the last gate before the two swordswomen took out the wooden sword souvenirs we bought earlier and dashed in to join the fray. With their help, we managed to push back the relentless assault.

"Tch!" The little kitsune clicked her tongue and raised a hand into the air. "Everyone, retreat! Any more than this and it'll end up being too dangerous!"

At her command, the various Youkai surrounding us dispersed and disappeared into the foliage as fast as they appeared.

"What in the world was that about, Saya?" Irina asked with a huff.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair before shaking my head.

"I have no idea. That little kitsune girl appeared all of sudden and started shouting at me before attacking me. I thought we were free to roam around Kyoto with that special pass thing, but I guess that's not the case anymore."

"In any case, we should report this to Buchou, Azazel-sensei and Rossweisse-sensei," Xenovia said.

We all agreed to Xenovia's proposition before heading back through the many layered tori to the bus stop.

After returning to the hotel and gathering in my room, Xenovia told Azazel-sensei what happened at the Fushimi Inari shrine. He said that he'd try to figure out the cause of the attack and told us to sit tight in the meantime. I did want to tell Rias what happened, but he brought up a good point that telling her when it could've been just a small misunderstanding would cause her to worry for nothing.

So, in the meantime, we all decided to go to the baths after nice, hot, traditional Japanese dinner. Yep. This is how Kyoto is meant to be enjoyed.

"You girls go on and enjoy yourselves," Rossweisse-sensei said as she stopped in front of the entrance to the changing rooms. "I'll stand guard out here."

At this, Asia tilted her head in confusion.

"Guard? Why do you need to guard us?

Ah… She's talking about those two… Uh… What were their names again? Eh, they're not important so it doesn't really matter.

"Alright. We'll go on ahead. Thanks for the assist, Rossweisse-sensei," I thanked the Valkyrie for her selflessness.

The woman shook her head and smiled proudly. I guess calling her sensei is helping her with her self-esteem issues.

"No, no. There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing my duty as your teacher," she declared while puffing out her chest.

Ahahaha… Now that she's been abandoned by Odin, she wants to be as useful as possible.

Leaving the Valkyrie to her own devices, Asia, Yumi, Xenovia, Irina and I all entered the changing room together.

"Hm, now that I think about it this is a first time for Asia and Xenovia, right?" I asked as we all began stripping down out of our uniforms.

The sight of porcelain-like skin and filled curves set my mind ablaze with wild thoughts.

Xenovia and Yumi's toned bodies made for a nice contrast compared to Asia and Irina's bodies who were on the softer side.

Hm… it also looks like Asia is slowly growing up.

Ah… I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such beautiful and cute girls every day.

No, wait! Not now.

Keep calm. Don't stare. Try to keep up a normal conversation.

It's really wonderful to have access to Asia's healing abilities since we don't have to worry about scars anymore. My body would be absolutely ruined by the amount of damage I took.

I absentmindedly traced a finger along my arm where it got severed. There really was not even a single mark there.

Well, no use thinking about stuff like that right now.

"Come on, you guys, let's go!" I called to the others as I grabbed a towel and made my way to the entrance of the baths.

For now, let's enjoy some quality skinship time.

Walking into the bath area, I took a seat at one of the showers and began the process of washing myself.

"Um, Saya, if you don't mind I can help wash you."

I turned around to see a slightly flushed Asia standing behind me with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Of course! Go ahead. I'll make sure to wash you in return, then."

With my permission Asia immediately went to work. Her small hands felt nice as she lathered my back with soap. Before long, though, the feeling of her hands were replaced by a different sensation. Instead of two hands, I felt something more along the lines of two ultra-soft mounds of flesh rubbing up and down my back.

"Errr… Asia?"

"Yes, Saya?"

I could feel her hot breath against the back of my neck as she spoke. This is seriously going to get dangerous if this continues any longer.

Before I could say anything to stop Asia from this extremely indecent way of washing my body, a toned pair of legs stepped into my field of vision in front of me.

"I see… So this is how Japanese people wash each other. It is certainly unusual, but I will try my best to perform this ritual as well," Xenovia said as she crouched down in front of me and began spreading soap across her breasts.

Um, what?

"W-wait, Xenovia! Th-that isn't how-!"

Almost as if she was ignoring me, the swordswoman wrapped her arms around the back of my neck as she pressed her body against mine.

This is… Certainly an experience and a half. I can only offer my thanks to whatever cursed god there is out there that there aren't any of the other hotel patrons staying in here. Especially the other girls in our school.

Maybe I should just make the most of this and enjoy this. I mean… I am here to enjoy and relax in Kyoto. Yeah. Alright. This is fine.

Breathing out a content sigh, I relaxed my body to let Asia and Xenovia have their way with washing my body.

Moments after our bath, we were greeted by Azazel-sensei who told us that Levia-tan wanted to meet us at a nearby restaurant. It was just a couple of blocks down from the hotel and when we arrived at the meeting location, we found the Maou herself sitting in seiza wearing an extravagantly flowery kimono.

Seems like someone's been enjoying Kyoto.

Next to her were Saji and the second years belonging to the student council.

"Welcome, everyone! Please, have a seat!" Levia-tan greeted cheerfully with an energetic wave. "I already ordered some food so be sure to eat up! The food here is amazing, after all!"

I had half the mind to speak up and say that we already had dinner, but unfortunately I didn't have the courage to do so and risk seeing her sad.

A moment later, a waitress came and brought platters of traditional Japanese cuisine into the room and set it down on the table.

Well, might as well dig in. It certainly does smell wonderful.

"Anyways, as you enjoy the food, I'll begin explaining why I've called you all here. In truth, I've come to Kyoto to request the cooperation of the Kyoto Youkai faction," she explained before her tone suddenly turned serious. "Unfortunately, it seems like there's been an incident."

An incident? That little kitsune did say something about her mother being taken. Could that have been the incident?

"It seems that the leader of the Kyoto Youkai branch has gone missing."

"And the ones most likely to be responsible are the Khaos Brigade," Azazel-sensei added.

I sighed and scratched at my head in frustration. Can't we catch break for even one second? This was supposed to be a fun trip and now it's turned into something troublesome again.

"Hey hey, what're you getting all annoyed for, Saya?" Azazel-sensei asked as smacked me on my back.

"Huh? Well we're going to have to deal with the-"

Before I could continue, the Fallen Angel barked out a short laugh and shook his head.

"No. You guys just enjoy your vacation. Let us adults handle things this time. I'd feel bad for having to rely on you guys all the time, after all."

"Sensei… Why can't you act more reliably all the time instead of just in situations like this?"

"Ouch!" Azazel-sensei clutched at his heart in mock hurt. "That may be true, but at least let me look cool for once."

Well… Even though I said that, since he's the strongest Fallen Angel I'm sure things will work out okay.

For now I'll just let him handle things and enjoy Kyoto while I can.

But… Dammit. After all, I really can't just leave a cute girl alone when she's suffering. I'll need to find a way to find that tiny kitsune again.

It was the second day of our school trip and the incident yesterday still burned fresh in my mind. I could barely sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about the kitsune who attacked us. It's not like I want to help her just because she's cute, though. No. There's a much deeper meaning to it. A young child who lost their parents is a pitiful thing indeed.

Anyways, Azazel-sensei told us to enjoy our time here in Kyoto so I might as well try to.

* * *

Getting off the bus, we arrived at the bottom of the hill leading up to Kiyomizu-dera. We took in the sights along the road and stopped at a few shops selling sweets to purchase some. Before long, we all arrived at the top of the hill where the entrance to the temple lay.

"Ah! There's a love compatibility lottery!" Irina pointed out excitedly before running to the box of sticks. "Hey, hey! Don't you think you should try this out, Asia?"

"E-Eh?!" Asia looked shocked at the proposal and her entire face proceeded to turn beet red.

"Hm… Perhaps I should draw one as well…" Xenovia added while staring at the box.

"If Xenovia's doing it too, then I might as well join in as well!" Irina exclaimed.

"Huh? Wait, Irina. You're in love with somebody?" I ask, surprised by her willingness to participate.

I mean, she has always been somewhat impulsive, but I didn't think she actually likes somebody.

Instead of answering, Irina just giggled and shot a smile in my direction.

Oh… I see how it is. She certainly has more self-control than the others around me. Maybe that's a side effect of her being something akin to an Angel now.

With a bit more urging from Irina, Asia finally stepped forward and drew a fortune. Next were Xenovia and then Irina. Finally, I decided to draw one as well, just for the hell of it.

"Okay, on the count of three. Let's all read ours together. One… Two… Three!"

Great misfortune.

Well, I guess that's one way to describe the situation I'm in right now. Judging from the expressions on the other's faces, I'm guessing they got the best turnout.

Ahaha… haha… well its best not to take these things to heart. I'll just have to be bit more on guard than before. Although it's not like it actually helped with anything before.

After, we went sightseeing around the temple and bought some souvenirs before heading back down the hill to the bus stop.

Our next stop was the Ginkaku-ji. Once we arrived at the site, Xenovia's expression immediately fell as soon as she saw the pavilion.

"It's not silver…" She whispered, visibly crestfallen.

Ah… She must have been expecting for the entire building to be made of silver, huh? With a name with Ginkaku-ji it's no wonder that she thought that. Well if that's the case, she won't be disappointed with the Kinkaku-ji.

Upon arriving, Xenovia ran out in front of us with her arms spread open.

"Gold! Amazing! It really is golden!"

Her sudden outburst left me a little surprised at the gap between her usual demeanors. Although, I guess it's not that bad seeing her act like this once in a while. It's not good to be too serious all the time.

We spent a bit more time touring the surroundings while taking a few pictures here and there. I snapped a couple with my phone and sent it over to the other members of the ORC that were back at Kuoh. Although, as I was scrolling through the pictures, I swear I thought I caught a glimpse of a fox in the corner of one of the pictures. Normally I wouldn't really have been thrown off, but this was taken from within the middle of a large crowd of tourists. The stranger thing was that when I doubled back to check, I couldn't see anything off about it. Just to be safe, though. I didn't send that specific picture. If the Kyoto youkai are keeping surveillance over us, it'd be best not to accidentally let Rias and the others find out.

After taking in the sights, we decided to take a short rest at a nearby teahouse. We ordered some sweets and tea and sat down to enjoy them.

Traditional Japanese sweets certainly are amazing when paired with green tea. The subtle sweetness they have really compliments the bitterness of the tea. As we ate, we chatted about the other places we visited today while sharing the pictures we took with each other until we heard a crash come from one of the tables next to us.

One of the tourists fell asleep? No. It looks like the man just suddenly face planted into the table. Before long, all the other patrons of the shop began falling asleep one by one.

"Eh? Wh-What's going on?" Asia asked as she frantically glanced around.

Xenovia on the other hand had already reached into her bag and drew her blade as Irina did the same

My eyes were drawn to the only other person still left standing in the shop: the waitress that served us.

As I pulled a dagger out of my Vault, a pair of fox ears and a bushy tail appeared on the woman.

Great. Just great. It was an ambush. I thought that Azazel-sensei and Levia-tan were supposed to be sorting things out right now, though.

I tensed my body and got ready to spring out of my seat at a moment's notice until a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Wait!"

I turned around to face the entrance of the shop to see Rossweisse-sensei leaning against the door while panting.

"Rossweisse-sensei, what are you doing here?"

Taking a moment to catch her breath, the woman stood up and walked over to us.

"Don't worry. This woman here is supposed to bring you to the Kyoto youkai headquarters. It seems the misunderstanding has been solved," she answered promptly.

Oh. Well, that was fast. Looks like those two really did it.

"Yes, that's right," the kitsune said while bowing deeply. "Please accept our apologies for attacking you so suddenly before. Our princess would like to speak with you all in regards to that matter."

Princess… she must be talking about the small kitsune that lead the charge against us. Alright. It looks like we're finally going to get some answers.

* * *

 **-Stat Sheet-**

 **Master:** Rias Gremory

 **Evil Piece:** Pawn (x8)

 **Name:** Saya Hyoudou

 **Titles:** The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight

 **Sex:** Female

 **Race:** Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)

 **Height:** 5'5" (167cm)

 **Alignment:** Neutral Good

 **Parameters:**

 **Strength:** B++

 **Endurance:** B++

 **Agility:** S

 **Magic:** B-

 **Luck:** A++

 **Weapons:** Varied

 **Known Unique Weapons:** Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch, Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow, Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais, Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos, Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn, Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung, Valmanway, Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon, Ig-Alima, Arondight, Caliburn, Excalibur Galatine,

 **Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance:** E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.

 **Battle Continuation:** A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

 **Charisma:** C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

 **Collector:** EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

 **Disengage:** B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

 **Eye of the Mind (True):** C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

 **Pioneer of the Stars:** EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

 **Abilities:**

 **Boosted Gear:** EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

 **Balance Breaker – Blade Dancer:** EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that combines it with the Dimensional Vault to summon blades.

 **Balance Breaker – Iron Fortress:** EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that forgoes speed and offense for thicker, magic resistant armour.

 **Balance Breaker: Install – Holy Knight Camelot:** EX – A super-powered Balance Breaker version that integrates the collective power of the Knights of the Round Table into a single being. However, the combination of such power requires a massive amount of magic and holy resistance. Using it for too long will cause permanent damage to Saya so a one minute time limit has been set. Its activation only requires the presence of four holy swords belonging to the knights, however once it has been activated, Saya is granted unlimited access to abilities belonging to all the knights. It is a powerful conceptual form that literally makes Saya into the collective form of the entirety of the Knights of the Round.

 **Dimensional Vault:** EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

 **Reincarnate:** EX - An ability to revive from the dead.

 **Mold Reality:** N/A

 **Awakening:** EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

 **Dash:** EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.

 **Jump:** EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.

 **Adventurer's Insight:** EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

 **Mad Enhancement:** A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

 **Bash:** A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.

 **Seismic Slash:** A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.

 **Iron Wall:** B+ - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.

 **Shadow Clone:** B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.

 **Flash:** D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.

 **Power to Dominate a Dimension:** (N/A)

 **Infinity Dimension:** EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.

 **Shift:** EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.

 **Shundo:** A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.

 **Bullet:** B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.

 **Elemental Prowess:** D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.

 **Makiage:** A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.

 **Reinforcement:** A+ – A type of magic used to magically strengthen one's own body or objects in contact with the body.

* * *

 **Harem Progress:**

 **Rias Gremory:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Akeno Himejima:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Asia Argento:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Yumi Kiba:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Koneko Toujou:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Xenovia Quarta:** Rank 10 (MAX)

 **Gasper Vladi:** Rank 9

 **Valerie Lucifer:** Rank 8

 **Rossweisse:** Rank 3

 **Ravel Phenex:** Rank 8

 **Irina Shidou:** Rank 7

 **Kuroka:** Rank 3

 **Kunou:** Rank 1


End file.
